Powertrain | Diesel International 2022-01

POWERTRAIN 

ELECTRIC 

Griffin 

Kohler Small Displacement - Sustainable Cat - H2 for 

freight & passengers - Web event: Is offroad multitasking? - 

Deutz between ICE and alternatives - Scania Power Solutions 

VADO E TORNO EDIZIONI 

www.vadoetorno.com 

www.diesel-international.com 

www.dieseloftheyear.com 

ISSN 0042 

Press Register n. 4596 – April 20th 1994 

Poste Italiane Inc. – Mail subscription 

D.L. 353/2003 (mod. in L. 27/02/2004 n° 46) 

Art. 1, subsection 1, LO/MI 

DIESEL SUPPLEMENT 

January 2022

POWERTRAIN 

JANUARY 2022 

powertrain-magazine.com 

CONTENTS 

ICE 

GENERIC 

H2 HYDROGEN 

kWe ELECTRIC 

GAS 

14 

FIND DIESEL INTERNATIONAL ON: 

22 

AUTOMOTIVE 

10. EURO 6E 

The FPT Industrial’s way 

12. HYDROGEN FOR BUS & COACHES 

UITP, FCH JU, VDV, Transdev, Keolis 

14. NIKOLA 

Ulm plant is officially working 

SUSTAINABLE CAT 

16. PG FOR DATA CENTRE 

Fuel cells with Ballard and Microsoft 

17. ZERO EMISSIONS MINING 

With Newmont for battery haul trucks 

REPORTS 

18. H2 Internal Combustion Engines 

Alastair Hayfield, Interact Analysis 

26. OFF-ROAD WEBINAR 

CECE, CEMA, Cummins, Dana, FPT 

PREVIEWS 

22. KOHLER SMALL DISPLACEMENT 

1.4-litre electronic diesel engine 

32. KUBOTA 

D902-K 

34. SCANIA POWER SOLUTIONS 

The Griffin recipe for electrification 

36. DEUTZ @ EIMA 

TCD 5.2 and TCD 2.9HP 

38. DEUTZ DAYS 2021 

Powertree, hydrogen genset, e-machinery 

TECHNO 

40. AUGA M1 

The biomethane hybrid tractor 

42. WALVOIL 

ALS. Together with Dieci 

44. BONFIGLIOLI 

Talking with the Group CEO 

COLUMNS 

4. Editorial 6. Newsroom 46. Sustainable Tech 

38 

EDITORIAL 

COOP26 instead of COP26 

“What if the issue was just an innocent vowel, 

an ‘O’, misplaced by a mistake in the form? 

Try calling it COOP26. It sounds better, isn’t?” 

3

EDITORIAL 

by Fabio Butturi 

What if the issue was just an innocent vowel, 

an “O”, misplaced by a mistake in the 

form? Try calling it COOP26. It sounds 

better, isn’t? Let us clarify the linguistic 

assumptions. According to the spelling, 

COP26 stands for Conference of the Parties. The final 

figures point to the 26 th annual summit of countries that 

have ratified the United Nations framework convention 

on climate change, UNFCCC. In order to come forward 

with ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets that 

align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century, 

countries will need to accelerate the phase-out of coal, 

speed up the switch to electric vehicles and encourage 

investment in renewables. 

So, the mission is to accelerate and to encourage. 

If the verb is the meaning-producer of a sentence, and this 

is precisely the premise of any sentence that produces 

meaning, it does not seem to us that the paraphrase of the 

text justifies the electric frenzy. To achieve these objectives 

in such a short time would require advice from any 

chemical laboratory, test bench or town planning office. 

There is no need for the millenarian slogans of the many 

Merlin wizards in the media and political arena. 

COOPeration is the key word for accessing long-term 

change, with immediate effect, or rather from yesterday. 

Latin etymology, cooperatio, there is that hidden cum (it 

means “with”), full of proactive overtones, of synergy and 

mutuality, and there is the word action. Because hypocrisy 

is a blunt instrument of mass distraction, and all it takes is 

for someone to oppose it to insert a postulate that reclaims 

coal as a primary source. And someone insists on talking 

about decarbonisation... including coal in the word which 

denies its own meaning? COOP26, understood as 

cooperation, based on facts and the real prospects for 

change, in the short and long term, of the 26 countries 

with the highest GDP on the planet: from the USA and 

China to Poland, Belgium and Thailand. Targeted and 

accelerated (remember: “to accelerate”) investments in 

incentives for renewables, in a multifuel perspective. 

Electrify the most highly urbanised areas. Push for low 

emission ICEs and synthetic and bio fuels. Wouldn’t that 

make more sense? 

AND THE 

WINNER IS... 

4 

www.dieseloftheyear.com

NEWSROOM 

#MANENGINES #LINDNER 

FPT, IVECO AND EDISON 

SUSTAINABLE 

GAS 

Iveco and Edison have 

signed a Memorandum 

of Understanding 

to accelerate the 

development of 

sustainable gas mobility 

Iveco and Edison have signed a 

MoU to accelerate the development 

of sustainable gas mobility 

and promote further the use of liquefied 

natural gas (LNG) in the road 

transport sector in Italy. 

In this case, FPT Industrial is indirect- 

MOBILITY 

ly involved as the engine arm of the 

Iveco Group, with which it started the 

spin-off from CNH Industrial. “Last 

October we completed the first integrated 

LNG logistics chain in Italy to 

support sustainable mobility, thanks to 

a small-scale coastal deposit in Ravenna, 

and an LNG carrier ship dedicated 

to the supply. Today we are taking 

a further step in the strategic path of 

decarbonisation of transport, in view 

of the European and Italian climate 

targets. By joining forces and working 

together with Iveco, both in Italy and 

internationally, we will be able to speed 

up the conversion of fleets and the energy 

transition process”, stated Nicola 

Monti, Edison CEO. 

Gerrit Marx, designated CEO, Iveco 

Group: “Natural gas mobility holds a 

big stake of our present and our future. 

It is an important step towards the decarbonization 

of the transport sector, 

and our pioneering efforts in this field 

have paid off: we now lead the market, 

with 55% of market share in Europe 

for LNG trucks. This collaboration will 

give an additional boost to sustainable 

mobility, which will be reinforced by 

the gradual introduction of biomethane 

in the project’s development plan. 

Iveco already offers near CO 2 

-neutral 

heavy-duty truck technology when the 

powertrain is running on renewable 

bio-methane: this further demonstrates 

our commitment and clear roadmap”. 

MIKAEL LINDNER APPOINTED 

HEAD OF MAN ENGINES 

Mikael Lindner will be responsible for the engines and 

components business of MAN Truck & Bus SE as 

Head of MAN Engines and Senior Vice President of 

MAN Truck & Bus with effect from 1 January 2022. 

His goal will be to ensure that the well-established 

components business of MAN Truck & Bus continues 

to thrive, to benefit from the strengths within the Group, 

and to position the company firmly in the direction of 

future technologies. “MAN Engines is an integral part 

of MAN Truck & Bus and a reliable partner for all our 

customers. I want to maintain this and further expand 

our business for the future,” says Lindner. Mikael 

Lindner has been in the engine industry since 2003. 

He studied mechanical engineering at the Royal 

Institute of Technology in Stockholm and graduated 

with a Master of Science degree specialising in 

industrial engineering and business administration. 

In his previous 

position, Lindner 

headed up 

the national 

organisation 

in Japan for 

the distribution 

and service of 

trucks, buses 

and engines 

from Swedish 

commercial 

vehicle 

manufacturer Scania, which, like MAN Truck & Bus, is 

also part of the Traton Group. 

In his capacity as Head of the MAN Engines Business 

Unit, Lindner will report to Göran Nyberg. 

AGRITECHNICA 2022 WILL NOT TAKE PLACE 

This year’s edition of Agritechnica was to be the place where people from over 140 countries could finally 

meet up in person again to gather information, exchange viewpoints and make investments. Unfortunately, 

due to the deteriorating pandemic situation in recent weeks and the resulting current official regulations, a 

situation has arisen which makes the trouble-free execution of Agritechnica no longer possible. Together 

with the VDMA Agricultural Machinery Association and the trade fair’s exhibitor advisory board, the 

organizers have therefore come to the decision that Agritechnica 2022 cannot take place in Hannover under 

these conditions. The next Agritechnica will take place from 12 to 18 November 2023 in its regular cycle. 

6

AUTOMOTIVE 

#INEOS #4X4 #ICE #STEYR #ZF #CARRARO 

INEOS GRENADIER 

ON 

AND OFF 

ROAD 

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos’s founder and chairman: “We believe that hydrogen 

is the fuel of the future and Ineos is determined to take a leading role in its 

development. Electric cars are ideal for city centres and short journeys. But 

hydrogen is much better for longer journeys and heavier loads and that requires 

immediate investment in hydrogen distribution and hydrogen filling stations.” 

Needless to say, off-roaders 

have become bourgeois. Even 

the models that deny transformation 

into an SUV (which is 

very much appreciated by marketers), 

in terms of size, equipment and car 

body, are the opposite of a 4x4 suitable 

for driving along a mule track in the 

Alps. The Mercedes G, Land Rover 

Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser can 

only go off-road in the dunes behind 

the skyscrapers in Dubai without incurring 

in the risk of losing a few thousand 

euros for car body and electronics 

damage at the first misjudged obstacle. 

To the delight of those who love “pure 

and solid” off-roaders, an outsider 

that presents itself as the successor of 

the historic Land Rover opened the 

bookings a few weeks ago. It is the 

Ineos Grenadier, whose square lines 

are reminiscent of the “mother of all 

off-roaders” produced in Britain from 

1948 to 2016. However, the English 

have already lost their case for plagiarism. 

These lines allow it to gain 

almost 10 centimetres in width compared 

to its competitors, although the 

Grenadier, with its 1.93 metres, is 14 

cm bulkier than the historic “Landie”. 

The Defender has 

been retired. But for 

the “hard and pure” 

off-roaders there is an 

outsider coming, with 

the collaboration of 

Magna Steyr, ZF and 

Carraro Drive Tech 

But, as we know, passenger safety 

doesn’t come cheap; it is no coincidence 

that one of the reasons for the 

ancestor’s retirement was its crash test 

results. Developed in collaboration 

with the Austrians from Magna Steyr 

as a heavy-duty 4x4 that is highly reliable 

and easy to repair, the Grenadier 

is 4.93-metre long and is based on an 

innovative chassis with side members 

produced by the Portuguese company 

Gestamp, to which the rigid steel and 

cast iron axles specifically developed 

by the Italian company Carraro are 

attached: they alone weigh 350 kilos 

per pair, about twice as much as in 

other cars, just to give an idea of the 

resistance targets. The powertrain with 

eight-speed (automatic) transmission, 

permanent four-wheel drive, gear reducer 

and centre locking differential 

is by ZF. The reference brand for the 

two planned engines is BMW. In fact, 

two three-litre six-cylinder petrol (turbo) 

and diesel (twin-turbo) engines, 

derived from the B57/B58 series but 

slightly downsized to offer a smoother 

delivery and more torque at low 

speed, have arrived from Munich. The 

diesel engine delivers 249 hp and 550 

Nm of torque, while the petrol one offers 

285 hp and 450 Nm of torque. In 

any case, such performances are more 

than enough not only for an off-road 

use and the 3.5-tonne towing capacity 

allowed, but also for an uncompromising 

motorway drive: a speed of 130 

km/h, which for the Land Rover was 

almost a mirage, must be a comfortable 

routine for the Grenadier. 

Its interiors are also distinctive, with 

an aeronautical style, influenced by 

heavy-duty choices: washable materials 

(there is a “rubber floor with drain 

plugs” option) and zero touch screen. 

All of the Grenadier’s functions are 

controlled via rotary pushbuttons and 

sliders that can be operated even with 

gloves on; the only screen is for infotainment. 

But why on earth did the 

London-based petrochemical giant Ineos, 

$91 billion in sales this year, decide 

to build the Grenadier off-roader? 

Because its chairman, Jim Ratcliffe, 

is a magnate with a passion for adventures 

and extreme sports. And, 

comparing himself to other wealthy 

enthusiasts in London’s muffled clubs, 

he realised that the retirement of the 

Land Rover Defender was an extraordinary 

opportunity to offer a reliable 

and robust 4x4, suitable for both those 

who use it for work, from forest rang- 

ers to electricity network maintenance 

technicians, and those who aim for the 

limit, in Africa as well as at the North 

Pole. An entrepreneurial adventure 

that began in 2017 and led Sir Jim 

to buy – from Mercedes – one lot of 

the French plant in Hambach where 

Smart cars are produced in order to 

set up the Grenadier assembly line, 

and to involve, little by little, managers 

and technicians stolen from Bentley, 

Daimler, Ford, Land Rover itself, 

Tesla and Volkswagen. Available in 

three body variants – 5-seater standard, 

7-seater wagon and pick-up – the 

first Grenadiers will be in customers’ 

hands in a few months. And, given 

the interest generated by the previews 

around the world, it is not unlikely that 

Ineos has put its stamp on a new segment 

in the automotive world. 

8 

9

AUTOMOTIVE 

#FPTINDUSTRIAL #EURO6E #IVECOGROUP 

FPT INDUSTRIAL 

UPGRADE 

EURO 

6E 

REGULATION (EU) 2019/631 

For the period 2020-2024, Regulation (EU) 2019/631 

confirms the EU fleet-wide CO 2 

emission targets set 

under Regulations (EC) No 443/2009 and (EU) No 

510/2011. 

Cars: 95 g CO 2 

/km 

Vans: 147 g CO 2 

/km 

These target levels refer to the NEDC emission test 

procedure. From 2021 onwards, the emission targets 

for manufacturers will be based on the new WLTP 

emission test procedure. 

Starting in the years 2025 and 2030, Regulation (EU) 

2019/631 sets stricter EU fleet-wide CO 2 

emission 

targets, which are defined as a percentage reduction 

from the 2021 starting points. 

Cars: 15% reduction from 2025 on and 37.5% reduction 

from 2030 on. 

Vans: 15% reduction from 2025 on and 31% reduction 

from 2030 on. 

FPT Industrial Cursor 13 and 

Andrea Abbà. 

“ Iveco and Air Liquide, a world leader in gases, technologies 

and services for Industry and Health, have signed 

a Memorandum of Understanding to develop hydrogen 

mobility in Europe” 

FPT Industrial, hand in hand 

with Iveco, is moving forward 

on the road to Euro 7. 

The European Commission’s 

sights will be set on CO 2 

, in other 

words, consumption. Euro 6E has 

now come into force. We asked Andrea 

Abbà, FPT’s On Road Product 

Marketing Manager, to explain the 

essence of this emissions rules upgrade. 

In the transition from Euro 6D to 

Euro 6E, the main changes and 

emission differences are in the number 

of particles and the cold start 

phase. With step E we introduced 

the titanium-vanadium SCR, as this 

technology shows better performance 

at low temperatures. Another 

new feature is the improved com- 

pression ratio on the Cursor family. 

It has been increased, with a view to 

reducing carbon dioxide emissions, 

without any impact on the product 

hardware. 

Titanium-vanadium 

SCR, new-generation 

ECU, increased 

compression ratio of 

the Cursor family. 

FPT Industrial’s 

Euro 6E has this 

and more. The main 

changes are in number 

of particles and the 

cold start phase 

What about the light duty range? 

We have introduced the dual SCR 

module, with dual urea injection, 

to facilitate cold starts. In addition, 

for the F1 Series, we optimised the 

common rail systems to 2,000 bar 

and introduced steel pistons, in order 

to reduce fuel consumption. 

Let’s get to the software... 

There is a new control unit (from 

Bosch) on all engine families, called 

MD1, which is faster in calculations. 

It’s a proprietary model that allows 

us to read the real exhaust emissions 

and consequently adapt urea injection 

on the basis of parameters that 

are actually read downstream from 

the exhaust. In short, there is a sensor 

that sees the exhaust emissions 

and the urea injection is managed 

according to the real emission values. 

Going into the heart of the engine, 

what did you change? 

On the Cursor we significantly increased 

the compression ratio from 

16.5:1 to 20.5:1. To optimise performance 

and fuel consumption on the 

F1 Series we opted for steel pistons 

instead of aluminium ones and increased 

the injection pressure of the 

common rail. 

Euro 6E came into force on 1 st 

January 2022. Is there a next step 

planned? 

As of today there is no Euro 6F, but 

Euro 7 is being discussed, probably 

from 2026-2027. What the new emission 

limits will be is not yet known, 

everything is still in progress. 

Is there still room for improvement 

in a diesel engine or has the 

best been done? 

We believe that there is still room 

for improvement in diesel engines, 

especially with regard to fuel consumption 

and CO 2 

balance. For this 

reason we do not think that diesel 

will become a dead issue in the next 

five to ten years. 

What about synthetic fuels? 

Regarding alternative fuels, we have 

the entire range already certified and 

HVO approved: our engines can run 

on second-generation fuels, a fuel 

technology that helps reduce CO 2 

. 

To what extent and in what way 

does developing the Euro 6E platform 

help you in the run-up to 

Euro 7? 

The evolution from step D to step E 

has been very important in terms of 

optimising fuel consumption. While 

we’re waiting for clear guidelines 

for Euro 7, what was introduced in 

step E will be developed and improved 

in the transition to Euro 7. 

Increasing the compression ratio, 

together with the improvement of 

the common rail, makes it easier for 

us to work in the near future. 

Have radiators, weight and engine 

dimensions increased? 

No, the changeover to Euro 6E has 

not resulted in any increase in radiators, 

weight or overall dimensions 

compared to the D step versions. 

10 

11

H2 - AUTOMOTIVE 

#UITP #SUSTAINABLEBUS #HYDROGEN #FLIXBUS 

HYDROGEN BUSES 

THE TIME 

IS 

NOW? 

FLIXBUS: GREEN OUTSIDE AND INSIDE 

Flixbus hydrogen-powered coaches are set to be in 

operation in Europe by 2024. It’s FlixMobility itself to 

announce the future milestone. “Diesel buses in the FlixBus 

fleet can be replaced with fuel cell buses in the future”, the 

German group underlines. The minimum range request is 

450 km on a single refilling. 

FlixMobility is taking part in the recently started research 

project HyFleet together with its partners Freudenberg Fuel 

Cell e-Power Systems 

and ZF. The project 

consortium recently 

received the official “UIA” 

(a non-binding letter 

of intent) confirmation 

by the German Federal 

Ministry of Transport and 

Digital Infrastructure. 

André Schwämmlein, founder and CEO of FlixMobility: “Fuel cell 

power technology is part of the green mobility revolution and gives bus 

producers the chance to shape the future of sustainable mobility.” 

Technology in public transport 

has become a breeding ground 

for electrification. Will this 

also be the case for hydrogen? 

“Sustainable Bus” magazine asked 

UITP, FCH JU, the German association 

of public transport companies 

VDV, the operators Transdev and Keolis 

and other industry stakeholders 

during the webinar “Hydrogen buses. 

Their time is... now?”. According to 

Efe Usanmaz, Manager Knowledge 

and Innovation Department at UITP, 

the international organization of public 

transport, in 2030 the 12 percent 

of the city bus market in Europe will 

be covered by H2 buses. The JIVE 

and JIVE 2 projects will end in 2021 

with a total of 310 fuel cell buses 

rolled out in Europe (as of June 2021, 

there were some 150 hydrogen buses 

in operation) in 18 cities and regions 

across Europe by the end of 2022. Efe 

Usanmaz provided us some insights. 

When it comes to city bus market 

developments, BEBs are expected 

to take the lead; PHEB CNG/biogas 

to stabilize as transition technology; 

CNG/biogas has different market 

penetration across different markets. 

Finally, Fuel Cell Hydrogen Bus 

technology is consolidated as viable 

ZE solution, even to the amount of 12 

“Sustainable Bus” 

magazine organised 

a “concert” of bus 

specialists. The 

score? Hydrogen 

buses out of 100, which we have just 

mentioned. Well, mass production is 

yet to be established. And costs is still 

an issue: a maximum price of €625k 

is the target of the above mentioned 

EU-backed projects. 

As of October 2021, 17 cities and regions 

have been involved in JIVE and 

JIVE 2 as they placed 274 bus orders 

from six different suppliers. Cologne 

and Wuppertal are taking the lead in 

Europe, with 70 hydrogen buses ordered 

so far. What is interesting is 

that they are to be deployed on suburban 

routes. 

It’s time for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 

Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), a 

public private partnership supporting 

research, technological development 

and demonstration (RTD) 

activities in fuel cell and hydrogen 

energy technologies in Europe (with 

the European Commission among 

its member). Lionel Boillot, FCH JU 

project manager, updates data on the 

uptake of FBCs (Fuel Cells Buses) in 

Europe. Hydrogen buses within JIVE 

and JIVE 2 projects have reached 

15,000,000 km since projects started, 

more than 35,000 hours lifetime and 

40.000 km/year per bus on average. 

One of the most demanding challenges 

was reducing downtime. The most 

immediate solutions to achieve this 

goal have been to simplify access to 

spare parts, to integrate FC maintenance 

in bus preventative schedule 

and to focus dedicated pits at bus 

depots. Finally, a significant element 

is undoubtedly the presence of OEM 

staff on-site. Boillot tackles a hot topic, 

without which it is unthinkable to 

imagine hydrogen moving beyond 

the sphere of good intentions into 

practice and into applications that 

feed the vehicle fleet: business and financing 

models. Joint procurements, 

for instance, allow several cities to 

order plots of buses, renewing them 

from ten to ten according to budget 

availability. Another way is central 

purchase office, such as UGAP in 

France, where FCB are available on 

catalogue, and there is no need for 

a tender. Special Purpose Vehicle 

(SPV) gather all stakeholders (PTO, 

OEMs, H2 suppliers etc.) in order to 

share the investment risks. 

Last but not least FCB leasing. These 

are measures to reduce the economic 

damage caused by the lack of a second-hand 

market. Basically it’s matter 

of CapEx and uncertainties’reduc- 

tion at end of the concession. 

At the end, some pills of Project 

Genesis. The speaker is Bart Kraaijvanger, 

Manager Zero Emission Programs 

at Transdev Netherlands. The 

case study is the retrofit of an Iveco 

Crossway coach, equipped with a 

diesel engine, replaced by a hydrogen 

electric motor (via a fuel cell). The 

four steps of this project started at the 

beginning of 2021, with the completion 

of the technical, partnership and 

financial file. During the last year 

Q2 and Q3 the technical and administrative 

procedures to carry out the 

retrofit have been set. In Old Evreux, 

Normandy (France), started the refurbishment 

of the EAS-Hymob station, 

to improve the refuelling network and 

satisfy the basic needs of a successful 

initiative. 

12 

13

kWe & H2 - AUTOMOTIVE 

#NIKOLA #IVECO #ELECTRICTRUCKS 

NIKOLA AND IVECO 

TOWARDS 

ELECTRIC 

TRUCKS 

“The partnership between the global commercial vehicles manufacturer and the 

US-based group specializing in zero-emission heavy-duty trucks and related 

energy solutions is about to begin its manufacturing journey in Ulm, Germany.” 

Iveco and Nikola, the US startup 

active in the electric truck sector, 

have inaugurated with a live and 

online event a new facility in Ulm, 

Germany. The manufacturing site was 

renewed and reorganized over the last 

two years and will soon be used to assemble 

the Nikola Tre BEV heavy-duty 

trucks. However, the site is already 

suitable for the Nikola Tre FCEV 

trucks, which will be assembled using 

the same lines starting from 2023. Our 

colleagues from “Sustainable Truck 

& Van” magazine had the opportunity 

to attend the opening ceremony held 

in October in Ulm, quite an important 

milestone of the partnership established 

nearly two years ago by Iveco, FPT 

Industrial and Nikola and presented in 

December 2019 with a dedicated event 

in Turin, during which the first proto- 

type of an electric truck was unveiled to 

the press all over Europe. 

The first Nikola Tre electric heavy-duty 

trucks have been produced at the 

end of 2021. The vehicles will be initially 

addressed to the US market, 

while from next year on the first Nikola 

trucks addressed to the European 

market will be produced. Based on the 

Launching the battery 

technology first will 

drive the maturity 

of the underlying 

platform before 

adding the fuel cell 

as a range-extension 

technology 

Iveco S-Way truck platform with an 

electric axle co-designed and produced 

by FPT Industrial, the Nikola Tre features 

an advanced electric and fuel cell 

technology, along with key components 

provided by Bosch. Together, the 

teams have designed a modular platform 

capable of fuel cell as well as battery 

propulsion technology. Launching 

the battery technology first will drive 

the maturity of the underlying platform 

before adding the fuel cell as a 

range-extension technology. 

The Ulm plant – located within the traditional 

Iveco site – relies on 50,000 

square meters, of which 25,000 are 

covered. It is a final assembly plant, 

conceived to be flexible enough to assemble 

both electric and fuel cell vehicles. 

The site will welcome components 

from over 160 suppliers all over 

the world and, according to the top 

managers, will be soon ready to produce 

1,000 trucks a year per shift. So, 

around 3,000 trucks every year. Nikola 

can rely on another production plant 

in Arizona, which will serve the US 

market according to the company’s future 

plans. As a matter of fact, Nikola 

is building a broad dealer network in 

the United States. The site is expected 

to operate according to the principles 

of the World Class Manufacturing programme 

and is conceived to include 

fully digital shopfloor management designed 

to guarantee 100% traceability 

and paperless operations. Quite a high 

number of logistics AGVs (Automated 

Guided Vehicles) will help assembly 

operators in Ulm. 

The opening ceremony was the right 

occasion to take stock of the joint 

venture, with Nikola’s CEO, Mark 

Russell, and Gerrit Marx, CEO of 

the Iveco Group, who answered the 

questions coming from journalists. 

“There’s no reason to worry about the 

future of the Nikola project and the 

future of the joint venture”, they said, 

also reaffirming that the trucks will be 

sold under the Nikola brand also in 

the future and that the two companies 

are facing indeed the hot issue of key 

components shortage. 

There was room also for the joint 

venture’s plans on hydrogen development. 

“We are focused on finding the 

best solution in terms of carbon intensity. 

We are looking for a system that 

might be actually cost-effective”, said 

Gerrit Marx. 

During the opening ceremony a memorandum 

was signed between the 

Nikola-Iveco joint venture and the 

Hamburg Port Authority. The agreement 

states their joint intent to partner 

in two phases encompassing up 

to 25 Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicles 

(BEV) for delivery to the port 

throughout 2022. The first phase involves 

testing of the Nikola Tre BEVs 

at the port for transport and logistics 

operations together with high-performance 

charging solutions. A more 

definitive second phase in the project 

partnership plans to see the full integration 

of the BEV vehicles in port 

operations, installation of charging 

infrastructure and on-site service support 

including major suppliers. The 

vehicles provided for these two phases 

will be the US version of the Nikola 

Tre with special permissions for inport 

operation. 

14 

15

H2 - POWER GENERATION 

CATERPILLAR #BALLARD #MICROSOFT 

kWe - OFFROAD 

#CATERPILLAR #NEWMONT #MINING #ELECTRIFICATION 

#CATERPILLAR #NEWMONT #MINING #ELECTRIFICATION 

CATERPILLAR & NREL 

BACKUP 

FOR 

DATA CENTERS 

Ballard Power Systems is supplying 

an advanced, 1.5 MW ClearGen-II 

hydrogen fuel cell power generator 

for a demonstration project with 

Caterpillar and Microsoft. 

CATERPILLAR AND NEWMONT 

ZERO EMISSIONS 

MINING 

US-based gold producer Newmont 

Mining signed an agreement 

with Caterpillar to deliver a zeroemissions 

mining system to improve 

safety and productivity. 

H 

ydrogen is a frontier, requiring 

cohesion and a common 

horizon. One of the applications 

for this energy carrier is 

certainly data centres. For this reason 

Caterpillar has joined forces with Microsoft 

and Ballard Power Systems. 

The project aims to develop a 1.5 MW 

backup power system incorporating 

a large-format hydrogen fuel cell for 

data centers. As the prime contractor 

on the project, Caterpillar is providing 

the overall system integration, power 

electronics, and controls that form the 

central structure of the power solution, 

which will be fueled by low-carbon-intensity 

hydrogen. Microsoft is 

hosting the demonstration project at a 

company data center in Quincy, Washington, 

while Ballard is supplying an 

advanced hydrogen fuel cell module. 

The National Renewable Energy 

Laboratory (NREL) is performing 

analyses on safety, techno-economics, 

and greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts. 

In exploring the “hydrogen dimension” 

there are several problems to be 

solved. In a critical application such as 

data centres, as might be the standby 

unit for a hospital facility, the power 

output must be providing uninterruptible 

power that supports totally uptime 

requirements. The project will also 

explore the scalability of fuel cell systems 

powered by low-carbon-intensity 

hydrogen from cost and performance 

perspectives, including 48-hour operation 

using on-site fuel, power transfer 

time, and load acceptance. 

“At Caterpillar, we focus on supporting 

our customers with reliable, resilient 

and economical power solutions while 

achieving their climate-related goals,” 

Caterpillar, Microsoft 

and Ballard are 

involved in a hydrogen 

fuel cell project 

said Jason Kaiser, vice president of 

Caterpillar Electric Power. “This hydrogen 

fuel cell demonstration project 

enables us to collaborate with industry 

leaders to take a large step toward commercially 

viable power solutions that 

also support our customers in making 

their operations more sustainable.” 

“We continue to invest in research and 

advanced development in hydrogen fuel 

cells as one of the various pathways 

toward our commitment to be carbon 

negative by 2030,” said Christian Belady, 

Distinguished Engineer and VP, 

Advanced Development, Cloud Operations 

+ Innovation at Microsoft. 

“The results of this project will provide 

key insights into the capability of fuel 

cell systems to scale and serve multi-megawatt 

data centers,” said Randy 

MacEwen, Ballard’s President and 

CEO. These efforts are supported and 

partially funded by the US Department 

of Energy (DOE) under the H2@Scale 

initiative and backed by the NREL. 

N 

ewmont Mining, the world’s 

largest gold mining company, 

announced a strategic alliance 

agreement with Caterpillar to 

deliver a fully connected, automated, 

zero-emissions, mining system. 

Through this agreement, the two 

companies will collaborate to create a 

safer, more productive mine, and support 

Newmont in reaching their 2030 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction 

targets of more than 30 percent, 

with an ultimate goal of being 

net-zero carbon by 2050. 

The agreement will also include the 

rapid deployment of an all-electric autonomous 

haulage fleet of 26 vehicles 

with an initial investment from Newmont 

of 100 million dollars. 

“A year ago, Newmont announced 

industry-leading emission reduction 

targets because we understand the human 

contribution to climate change. 

We followed with a commitment to 

invest 500 million dollars over five 

years to identify pathways forward as 

we firmly believe that we must make 

bold, lasting commitments to achieve 

the necessary change for a bright, 

healthy future,” said Tom Palmer, 

President and CEO of Newmont 

Corporation. “Today, we furthered 

that commitment by announcing a new 

strategic alliance with Caterpillar to 

address climate change by fundamentally 

changing the mining industry 

through the rapid development and 

implementation of a comprehensive 

“We furthered that 

commitment by 

announcing a new 

strategic alliance with 

Caterpillar to address 

climate change by 

changing the mining 

industry” 

all-electric autonomous mining system 

to achieve zero emissions mining.” 

Building pathways to decarbonization 

is essential for the future of mining. 

“Caterpillar is committed to providing 

transformational advancements in 

safety, sustainability and technology,” 

said Jim Umpleby, Chairman and 

CEO of Caterpillar. “We share Newmont’s 

dedication to a reduced-carbon 

future, and we’re honored to work together 

on this industry leading effort.” 

Caterpillar will develop its first battery 

electric zero-emissions underground 

truck to be deployed by 2026. 

The deployment includes a fleet of 

up to 10 battery electric underground 

haul trucks, supported by Caterpillar’s 

advanced electrification and infrastructure 

system. The time-line? 

First-of-a-kind battery electric haulage 

technology for underground mining 

in 2024, the introduction of battery 

autonomous technology in 2025, 

with full deployment in 2026. 

16 

17

H2 - INTERVIEWS 

#INTERACTANALYSIS #HYDROGEN #ICE 

INTERACT ANALYSIS, H2 AND ICE 

IS ICE 

THE WAY TO 

HYDROGEN? 

BOSCH AND OMB SALERI 

Bosch and Italian specialized company OMB Saleri have 

signed a partnership that will allow Bosch to have in 

its own portfolio also key components such as tank 

valves and pressure regulators. These components are 

supposed to equip hydrogen tanks for mobile on-road 

applications. In fact, Bosch expects one in eight new 

commercial vehicles to be powered by fuel cells by 

2030. From 2021 to 2024, Bosch plans to invest around 

600 million euros in mobile fuel-cell applications and 

a further 400 million euros in stationary ones for 

the generation of electricity and heat. The portfolio 

for vehicles ranges from individual sensors to core 

components such as the electric air compressor and 

the stack to the complete fuel-cell module. 

“At Interact Analysis, our research shows that, whilst the technology clearly 

has the potential to reduce carbon emissions, the use of hydrogen combustion 

engines in heavy duty applications will be limited because of the challenges 

with machine and fuel price, the small number of suitable applications, and 

the shift toward battery and fuel cell solutions in many other applications.” 

Hydrogen has hit the headlines. 

Its application with the ICE, 

according to some, could be 

its crowning achievement, 

ahead of the time expected by insiders. 

Alastair Hayfield, Senior 

Research Director of Interact Analysis, 

pondered if this makes sense. He 

pointed out that “JCB announced in 

May that it would be developing such 

a solution. And hot on the heels of this 

news we have seen Cummins, Caterpillar, 

Liebherr and the GAC Group 

make announcements that they too 

will be trialing and developing hydrogen 

combustion engines for a variety 

of applications. A hydrogen fueled 

combustion engine works in much the 

same way as a diesel fueled combustion 

engine. Hydrogen is combusted to 

produce water with no carbon-based 

emissions; however, the temperature 

of the reaction produces nitrogen 

oxides, which are harmful to human 

health. In addition to emissions and 

Is hydrogen technology 

“the place to be”? And 

does it make sense 

to convert internal 

combustion engines 

to pursue the goal 

of decarbonisation? 

Alastair Hayfield, from 

Interact Analysis, 

spoke on the topic and 

answered our questions 

the costs associated with minimizing 

them, a “regular” combustion engine 

designed to use diesel needs to be 

modified to run on hydrogen, adding 

further cost. Additionally, a weighty 

set of high-pressure hydrogen tanks 

must be added to the vehicle, further 

increasing cost and decreasing the 

cargo payload. The current cost of 

hydrogen means that, not only is the 

engine/vehicle more expensive, but it 

costs substantially more to run – not 

something that is mentioned in the 

slick PR and marketing behind these 

projects. Proponents of the technology 

will argue that the cost of hydrogen 

will decrease with scale (true, 

but on a timeline of 5-10 years) and 

that “electrified” powertrains – battery 

or fuel cell – cost substantially 

more upfront. On this latter point, 

that is true right now, our research at 

Interact Analysis shows that both the 

battery and the fuel cell system are 

falling in price substantially over the 

next 5 or 10 years. Not only will this 

bring the purchase price of an electrified 

powertrain much closer to parity 

with an internal combustion engine 

powertrain, but with the substantially 

lower running costs associated with 

electricity, the total cost of ownership 

will be lower – for battery electric 

systems, at least”. 

These are the assumptions. POWER- 

TRAIN and Sustainabletruckvan.com 

asked Alastair to answer their questions. 

There were a lot of expectations 

about the COP26, but it was totally 

disappointing. After the COP26, 

what’s your opinion about the internal 

combustion engine fueled by 

hydrogen as a transition technology? 

I think it can work but there are a 

number of challenges to face. All the 

manufacturers and OEMs will have to 

develop their engines, road test them 

and it will take time: we won’t see 

their engines rolling out of production 

in 2022, we’re looking in a something 

long-term. Realistically, it will take at 

least three years before this technology 

enters the market in meaningful 

volumes. However, we have to face 

the challenge of emissions. I wonder 

if this technology will be beaten or 

maybe overtaken by other solutions, 

i.e. fuel cells. I don’t think there is a 

clear path towards electrifying agriculture 

machinery particularly quick- 

ly; we know that truck manufacturers 

are looking to biofuels, synthetic diesel, 

which are a lot easier to use with 

car engines because there is no real 

change in how you distribute it and 

store it. We think hydrogen doesn’t 

pollute but at the moment most hydrogen 

is not green, it’s brown and there’s 

still a carbon footprint associated 

with it. For me, there are still many 

issues to be resolved in this technology 

that sounds very promising: there 

are technical challenges and market 

challenges. 

You mentioned the green hydrogen, 

which can be considered the key to 

a really sustainable transition. How 

far are we from the development of 

green hydrogen on large scale in the 

commercial vehicle sector? Our 

18 

19

H2 - INTERVIEWS 

#ALASTAIRHAYFIELD #OEM #COP26 #CUMMINS 

Right, Alastair 

Hayfield, Senior 

Research Director 

of Interact Analysis. 

On the left, the Cursor 

X, multifuel concept 

by FPT Industrial, and 

a complete package 

by Hyvia. In the 

previous page, Rolls- 

Royce has exhibited 

mtu fuel cells at 

COP26 in Glasgow. 

impression is that we are still quite 

far from green hydrogen. 

I agree. If we look to Australia or the 

Middle East we see some serious investments 

going to green hydrogen, but 

I think it’s going to take a long time. 

native solutions. Almost all on-highway 

truck manufacturers are focused 

on battery electric. Obviously, Cummins 

is doing some work around 

hydrogen in internal combustion 

engines. They have two models available 

and supplied in North America in 

a path towards positive perception of 

hydrogen used in internal combustion 

engines. Cummins have invested a lot 

in hydrogen, but I think in Europe this 

is not the best solution. 

In Europe some politicians are 

scared about electrification because 

it could cost much to the whole supply 

chain, because we have a lot 

of components manufacturers involved 

in the traditional powertrain 

systems. Do you think this could be 

an obstacle to research about elec- 

All the truck manufacturers talk 

about long-term strategies: biodiesel, 

electrification, fuel cells. They 

hardly speak of hydrogen at all, 

except DAF which is running some 

tests. In your opinion, are they doing 

tests without communicating it 

or are they more focused on fuels? 

I think they are more focused on fuel 

cells and battery electric, if you look 

where all of the investment money is 

going: billions of Euros are going to 

battery cell production. I think there’s 

very little additional money for altertrification 

or new technologies? 

If you look at jobs in the automotive 

industry, passenger cars, commercial 

vehicles, off-highway, a large number 

of jobs has nothing to do with powertrain: 

you still have to assemble vehicles, 

you still have to produce lighting, 

braking, interiors, infotainment 

systems, etc. Here in the UK there was 

a lot of concern that Ford would shut 

its Halewood transmission facility, 

but they have just announced they will 

reinvest £230m funds into producing 

electrified components. I think this is 

an opportunity to rescale, to reinvest. 

I don’t really agree with the argument 

this is going to cost a lot of unemployment 

or that this is really bad for the 

supply chain. 

Can hydrogen ICE and fuel cells 

coexist in the future? 

I think so. I think hydrogen ICE is a 

transitional technology and I don’t 

see it becoming a major part of the 

market in a long term. 

Converting internal combustion engines 

to hydrogen there is a loss of 

efficiency. 

If you compare a diesel ICE with a 

hydrogen one, theoretically the hydrogen 

engine should be thermally 

as efficient. In reality it isn’t, because 

obviously we are looking to a hundred-year 

story of investment in diesel 

to make it as efficient as possible. And 

then we have another problem: the 

hydrogen engine is more expensive 

and the actual hydrogen is expensive. 

It is very difficult for an operator or 

an end user to choose a vehicle that 

is more expensive and less efficient. 

With fuel cells the powertrain is much 

more efficient than any form of internal 

combustion engine. Many manufacturers 

have been quite slow in the 

transition to electrification because 

they don’t have money to invest, so I 

think they could partner to develop 

solutions. Brown hydrogen technology 

is technically feasible, but I wonder 

how quickly they can scale this 

technology from the cost perspective. 

The investments are going to green 

hydrogen, so I don’t think it will be in 

the short or mid-term. 

A crucial issue is the infrastructure, 

which is a problem for hydrogen 

ICEs but also for fuel cells. The manufacturers 

are talking about producing 

biofuels and synthetic fuels in 

Chile. The problem is how to move to 

Europe, North America and China? 

The problem is basically the same: how 

do you transport hydrogen around the 

world? My opinion is that it should be 

converted into ammonia, transported 

by ship and then converted back from 

ammonia into hydrogen. But if we are 

talking about local distribution, that’s 

very challenging because hydrogen 

storage is very expensive and it is 

unlikely to be stored in the next few 

years in remote areas or outside the 

big cities. If you’re going to use hydrogen 

in internal combustion engine 

in agriculture or in mining equipment, 

I can say this can be achieved. But, 

how can you get this fuel to where is 

needed? This is the real challenge. 

That’s why I think it’s a quite limited 

technology. 

20 

21

PREVIEWS 

#KOHLER #KSD #DIESEL #BOSCH 

KOHLER ENGINES 

KOHLER 

SMALL 

DISPLACEMENT 

K-HEM WITH AGREENCULTURE ROBOT 

CEOL is the Agreenculture’s autonomous agricultural 

robot remote-controlled via GPS, on which the K-HEM 

1003 will be installed starting in 2022. Agreenculture, a 

French manufacturer of autonomous agricultural solutions, 

has been working with Kohler for some time on the 

development of a product that aims to raise the bar for the 

level of technology available to the agricultural industry. 

Like other manufacturers, Agreenculture was quick to 

embrace the features of the K-HEM 1003 hybrid unit, which 

is perfect for this type of application. 

“We found Kohler to be a valid support for taking the 

CEOL robot to a further stage of development, and we 

are convinced that it will be a new benchmark in terms of 

innovation and technology,” said Christophe Aubé, Founder 

and President of Agreenculture. 

“Once again, Kohler demonstrates that it is the perfect 

alternative to the traditional market offer for achieving the 

highest level of technology and innovation. Agreenculture’s 

autonomous robot is a perfect example of the direction that 

precision agricultural mechanization has taken,” remarked 

Vincenzo Perrone, President of Kohler Engines. 

The “K” in the acronym “KSD” 

stands out for Kohler, just as it 

does in “KDI”. The line-up’s 

first restructured units were the 

modular 1.9 and 2.45 L (B/S 88 x 102 

mm) followed by the 3.4 L (B/S 96 x 

116 mm). The 1.4 L now brings the 

family’s renewal to completion while 

strengthening Kohler’s placement below 

the momentous 19 kW threshold. 

Guido Franchi, Product Manager 

Diesel Engine at Kohler Engines 

EMEA, replies to our questions. 

What’s the market request concerning 

engines with this displacement? 

Above 19 kW after-treatment is imperative. 

Some of our competitors’ 

strategy was to depower the existing 

engines, which took a toll on performance, 

especially regarding torque. 

We, instead, worked on real market 

needs, developing an innovative technology 

(this refers primarily to the 

injection system, editor’s note) which 

allowed us to set up an extremely compact 

platform – one of the features 

that has a strong appeal to installers. 

What is it that makes it disruptive and 

more competitive compared to other 

well-tested engine units in this range? 

We managed to build a 1.4 liter in the 

same size as a 1.1 liter, with 90 Nm 

The KSD series, Kohler 

Small Displacement, 

is a 1.4-litre, 18.4 

kW and up to 120 

Nm electronic diesel 

engine 

at 1800 rpm in its aspirated version, 

which gets as high as 105 Nm for its 

turbocharged counterpart and to 120 

Nm for the one with an aftercooler. 

This is how we managed to reconcile 

compactness with performance, especially 

in terms of torque and power 

output at low revs – reaching the levels 

one usually gets with a far bigger engine 

– typically a 1.5 or a 1.7 liter unit. 

There aren’t many electronic engines 

of this size around. Electronics are 

meant to be an advantage for customers, 

which means they should not make 

installation trickier, or more expensive. 

That’s why we worked heavily on flexibility; 

we can provide all the benefits of 

an electronic engine without affecting 

the ease of installation customer side. 

We provide a drop-in solution whereby 

the mechanical engine that’s already 

onboard can be easily replaced. This 

means, for instance, that the same unit 

is provided with a dual wiring interface, 

including a standard one with 

which the customer can still use their 

analogue dashboard or mechanical 

lever (we provide an engine-mounted 

potentiometer). 

So what you’re hinting at is that 

KSD is just so flexible that the benefits 

of electronic control can get 

embedded into a machine’s functions 

without spending a fortune or 

disrupting its layout? 

Exactly. I mean that OEMs will be able 

to obtain certain features and functions 

that are found on units with a 

higher displacement and performance, 

simply through CANbus connection. 

Again focusing on flexibility, I’d like to 

highlight that the cooling fan position 

is adjustable, as the fan’s not fitted on 

the water pump but has a dedicated 

pulley. Hence it can be mounted in 

different ways, allowing for its easy 

alignment with the existing radiator 

in any installation. As for service 

side, we have all options available, on 

both the intake and the exhaust sides. 

Another thing we bet on is reducing 

the cost of ownership, by providing 

an extended service interval. In the 

standard engine version, this is equal 

to 500 hours. The alternator has a 

“stretch Poly-V” belt featuring a running 

time of 2000 hours. The tappets 

are of the hydraulic type and need no 

adjustment. We also offer a few options 

to reach a 1000-hour interval, which is 

required, for instance, for light towers 

or gensets. The engine suits all applications, 

including heavy duty. 

What’s the breakthrough compared 

to the FOCS series? 

We are now targeting excavators, 

wheel loaders, skid steers, and, as 

mentioned earlier, gensets. In addition 

to offering a highly innovative 

engine, we’re also aiming for 

cost-competitiveness. Given the engine’s 

heavy-duty architecture, it has 

a gear transmission (again differently 

than the FOCS) and the fan can be 

fitted in different positions. The entry 

version has no PTO; with maximum 

flexibility in mind, we give our customers 

the possibility to remove the 

cover that’s on the engine block and 

install a third 40 Nm PTO. We’ve already 

developed a broad assortment 

of options: for example, suction manifolds 

in different shapes, and versions 

with an electric or mechanical pump. 

22 

23

PREVIEWS 

#COMMONRAIL #HVO #POWERPACK #OFFROAD #CHECKAPP 

KDI 3404 TCR-SCR AND KDI 2504TCR AGRI 

The KDI 3404 TCR-SCR Stage V in the Power Pack version is the 

most powerful engine in Kohler’s offering, with performance 

capable of reaching 650 Nm@1400 rpm and 112 kW@1800 

rpm of maximum power (105 kW@2200 rpm). Thanks to its 

compact size application, everything is already assembled, ready 

to be installed and adaptable to different types of machines 

(agricultural, industrial, or in the construction industry), also 

thanks to the generous performance features of the engine 

and the selected accessories available. The same engine 

model is also available in the Electro Pack version. Able to 315 

Nm@1500 rpm and 55 kW from 2000 rpm, the KDI 2504 TCR 

Stage V Agri model is a customized variant strictly for tractor 

installations, with compact ATS mounted on the engine and a 

dedicated layout for the brake compressor and air-conditioning 

compressor, mounted in front. Therefore, this is a highly 

versatile engine thanks to the possibility to work also at low 

rpm while maintaining the expected performance and at the 

same time saving on fuel consumption. This is made possible 

by the very high torque values, which are reflected in an engine 

responsive to work loads even at low speeds, making it even 

quieter and more comfortable also with the addition of counterrotating 

shafts. 

Guido Franchi, Product Manager Diesel 

Engine at Kohler Engines EMEA. 

The most meaningful features include 

cold starting: we took the challenge of 

starting the engine at –26 °C without 

a block heater, relying solely on the 

electric pump and a powerful starter 

motor. Other options include a fuel 

filter, either mounted on the engine as 

standard equipment or provided as a 

remote filter for easier installation; oil 

refilling either from the engine head, 

above the rocker arm cover, or on the 

side, which makes maintenance easier. 

Indeed, servicing can be done both on 

exhaust and on intake sides. There is a 

remote filter both in the aspirated and 

the turbocharged versions; we have oil 

dipsticks coming in different shapes 

and two types of sumps, a standard 

5.6 L one plus a 3.7 L compact version 

which is meant to become standard as 

it allows to reach a 500-hour oil in- 

terval and to fit a wide variety of applications. 

We’re also working on an 

Electro Pack and a full Power Pack 

(radiator, tailpipe, air filter, control 

board) available as of April 2023. The 

Power Pack was devised with variable 

rpm engines in mind, while the Electro 

Pack is for fixed rpm engines. We 

have three types of alternators – 45, 

80 and 100 Ampere – with the “stretch 

Poly-V” which frees us from the need 

to adjust the belt tension. We have a 

SAE 4 as well as a SAE 5 backplate. 

Its shape reminds that of Kubota, for 

easier maintenance. 

Many would expect Kohler to provide 

engines bigger than 3.4 L. The 

KSD range is the one that faces 

tougher competition from two-cylinder 

petrol engines and electric motors. 

So yours was a brave choice. 

Are these engines also meant to replenish 

the K-HEM range? 

As for “green-tinted” engines, we’ve 

already scheduled for 2023 a hybrid 

version of the K-HEM fitted with a 

KSD that will run on 100% HVO and 

other alternative low-carbon fuels. The 

same platform will feature spark-ignition 

versions. For heavy duty applications, 

we believe internal combustion 

engines are still the answer. 

Kohler’s response to the depowering 

of existing engines is a line expressly 

designed to provide balanced torque 

and power curves. We know there’s 

no ATS. What about the EGR? 

There is no gas recirculation, either. 

To us, the aspirated version is pretty 

interesting due to its compact size 

and behaviour at high altitude. The 

electronic injection allows to keep 

performance unaltered: if you get 

18.4 kW at sea level, you will still get 

about 18.2 kW at a 1700 m altitude, 

while the natural derating of an aspirated 

engine is usually equal to 1% 

every 100 m (thus, about 14kW less 

power). Injection is optimized for real-life 

environmental and load conditions. 

Load response is far quicker 

(currently, many mechanical engines 

feature an electronic rpm adjuster as 

an option) which is also beneficial to 

gensets, in that an engine with a lower 

speed drop allows gensets to keep a 

constant frequency. 

An overview of performance in the 

KSD Series. 

The innovation lies in having created 

a common rail with direct injection, 

which provides benefits in terms of size 

and noise levels. To achieve this, we 

worked on calibration and pre-chamber 

injections. As for injection, we 

tried to transfer a system that’s usually 

found on direct injection units onto 

a diesel engine with indirect injection 

– with several advantages: to begin 

with, a low-pressure rail that allows us 

to meet the needs of those user areas 

where fuel is of a cheaper quality. 

How is this injection system different 

from a conventional common rail? 

Basically it’s about the pressure – 

sensibly lower – and indirect injection 

that relies on a pre-chamber. If 

we look at the genset power ratings, 

interestingly we will notice that the 

turbo-aftercooler version, in stand-by 

mode, reaches maximum power (18.8 

kW) at 1500 rpm, at 1800 rpm in prime 

mode: which means having an engine 

that’s just below 19 kW about the size 

of a 1.1 L unit. And speaking of size, 

we manage to reach 90 Nm at 1800 

rpm with compact dimensions thanks 

to a sump that’s smaller – even in its 

deeper version (the one that guarantees 

1000 running hours) while height, 

length and width are basically the 

same. I’d like to close by highlighting 

the flexibility of our wiring connections. 

We offer two different interfaces 

– a standard version designed for 

those needing to replace a mechanical 

engine – a potentiometer and analogue 

signals so that electronics does 

not come at an additional cost. The 

optional version (Best engine machine 

integration solution), instead, features 

different connectors and control unit 

options available customer side, an 

electronic dashboard, as well as diagnostics 

through the Kohler CheckApp. 

24 

25

REPORT 

#SUSTAINABILITY #OFFHIGHWAY #POWERTRAINTOUR 

SUSTAINABLE POWERTRAIN TOUR 

PROUD 

TO BE 

MULTITASKING 

ONE WORD, MULTIPLE MEANINGS 

What is the true meaning of sustainability? Is it possible to 

find the right balance between economical, technological 

and environmental sustainability? The first edition of the 

Sustainable Powertrain Tour 2021 looks towards the future 

without neglecting the current requirements of OEMs as 

well as end users when it comes to choosing a machine 

or a system. As a matter of fact, cleaner diesel engines, 

hybridization, electrification and research on alternative 

fuels for ICEs do not concern only automotive applications. 

The watchword for decarbonization is “RIGHT NOW”. In 

other words, it’s time to talk about all this involving primary 

international institutions together with some of the main 

global players among the manufacturers of engines and 

powertrain components. 

The first stage focused on leisure boats: “Evolution of the 

species: the unplugged hybrid”, with ICOMIA, IMEC, Amer 

Yachts, Fincantieri Yachts, AS Labruna and Rolls-Royce Power 

Systems. The second event covered the topics of power 

generation: “Biomethane and Smart grid: the Eco-CHP”, with 

REN21, Cogen Europe, 2G, Himoinsa and Caterpillar. 

KGP Auto: “Challenge is below the 56 kW range: the price 

increases exponentially with the electric powertrain but you 

don’t see the TCO (total cost of ownership) benefits”. 

Off-road powertrain is multitasking 

or is not (anymore)? 

Is this really the case? We 

asked Riccardo Viaggi, Secretary 

General at CECE, Jérôme 

Bandry, Secretary General at CEMA, 

Diego Rotti (FPT Industrial), Valery 

Shapochkin (Cummins), Peter Pickel, 

Manager External Relations at John 

Deere, and Lorenzo Serrao, Lead Engineer 

of off-highway electrification 

at Dana Inc. 

James Dorling, Senior Consultant at 

KGP Auto, introduced the web event 

with a short video. “We expect diesel 

continue to be the primary fuel for the 

off-highway in short-term, while electrification 

is more long-term, but the 

supply chain and the OEMs are all 

making decisions right now and the 

drives for electrification are highly 

pronounced in the off-highway as in 

commercial vehicles and passenger 

cars. Challenge is below the 56 kW 

range: the price increases exponentially 

with the electric powertrain but 

you don’t see the TCO benefits”. 

First of all, the European construction 

equipment point of view, by 

CECE. “Acceptable TCOs are the 

ICE technology will not 

disappear as soon as 

some people would 

like to think. Non-road 

mobile applications will 

be multitasking for 

a decade at least 

keys, as are the policies and the role 

of public authorities as buyers, not 

only as regulators. So we, as a representative 

industry organization, 

recommend to the policy makers to 

set technology independent objectives, 

to assess decarbonisation on 

the basis of full life cycle approach 

inclusive of the operations involved, 

to be developed in coordination with 

other regions of the world, to ensure 

the availability of low or net zero CO 2 

energy carriers at acceptable costs 

and to incentivize fleet renewal and 

facilitate decarbonisation of existing 

machinery (drop-in fuels). Our ‘four 

pillars approach’ emphasizes the four 

elements to decarbonize construction 

machinery: efficiency, operation efficiency, 

process efficiency and alternative 

energy sources. There are many 

energy carriers which offers a low or 

net-zero solutions and that’s way we 

strengthen that concept of technology 

independence in the choices made by 

the policy makers. It is true that electrification 

is a long-term trend, but 

there are other energy carriers, like 

hydrogen and ammonia, which can 

have an important role in the process 

of decarbonising the fleets. Another 

important element for us is the opportunity 

for certain technology selection 

when it comes to the huge diversity 

of construction site. The greatest 

opportunity for battery electric and 

hydrogen is in fixed or long-term sites 

which require low power, low energy 

consumption, a short intermittent use. 

I think it is extremely important to 

keep this variety of technologies open 

in order to achieve the decarbonized 

construction of the future”. 

Below the 56 kW threshold electrification 

of construction machinery appears 

to be accelerated. How fast will 

it be? 

Cummins replied: “At this moment 

many OEMs are trying to create, develop 

and test the electrical coverage 

of mini excavator, wheel loaders 

and other equipment but we don’t 

see a high rate of manufacturing yet. 

Everything can change quickly because 

battery technologies are evolving 

and we see opportunities in electrification 

of the compact segment, 

especially in applications which operate 

in the cities, with a relatively low 

duty cycle or close to the charging 

infrastructure. From the other side, 

we also understand that technologies 

are not there yet to compete well with 

the diesel engines especially in heavy 

duty cycles. Machines which operate 

remotely or have space or weight 

constraints will continue predominantly 

to use diesel power at least until 

the end of this decade and maybe the 

next. Price sensitive markets also will 

continue to use traditional engines. 

But we support development of lowcarbon 

energy sources, we continue 

to invest in the broad portfolio of products 

for sustainable low-carbon for 

the future. For exemple, we invest a 

lot in high and low batteries, in fuel 

cells, in generation of the clean production 

of green hydrogen, but we will 

also continue to invest in traditional 

technologies: advanced diesels, gas 

engines including H2 ICE engines. 

All these technologies will help us to 

achieve carbon neutrality because we 

26 

27

REPORT 

#CECE #CEMA #KGPAUTO #JOHNDEERE 

CECE: “Acceptable TCOs are the key to the deployment of these 

technologies, as are the policies and the role of public authorities 

as buyers, not only as regulators.” 

velopment is on alternative fuels, i.e. 

natural gas, because we think that 

in the short-term it can represent an 

effective answer to CO 2 

reduction, 

especially when using biomethane. 

The last – and largest – pillar involves 

all the research streams on electrification 

and hydrogen. Probably if you 

look at slightly larger machine, close 

to 55 kW or higher, we have been on 

one side working on battery electric 

concept. We had a demo with our sister 

company Case CE and we’re also 

looking at potential opportunities for 

hybrid there, leveraging on the 55kW 

threshold. We think there might be 

some benefits there, but probably not 

as important as what we see on agriculture 

applications on the same limit. 

We still probably believe that their full 

electrification can be more viable in 

will not be able to satisfy all the needs 

with just one solution.” 

FPT Industrial statements: “Our research 

approach must be multitasking 

and search for multiple paths for the 

off-highway equipment. In FPT we 

are following a different research 

approach: we’re still investing in the 

diesel or ICE improving engine thermodynamic 

efficiency and allowing 

the use of renewable and synthetic 

fuels. We also are working on the new 

engine families with a modular approach: 

our new 2.8-liter engine, 2020 

Diesel of the Year, has been designed 

already taking into account a future 

version that an engine must have to 

debate, so we started from a common 

diesel core and architecture which is 

ready for both natural gas and hybrid 

solutions. Another pillar of our determs 

of technology in the mid-term.” 

Now let’s switch from construction to 

agriculture. We are still talking about 

off-road equipment of course but there 

are big differences, as previously 

underlined by CECE. 

What about CEMA outlook? “Actually, 

if you take a tractor put on the 

market just a couple of years ago, it 

emitted 95 percent less in pm than a 

comparable machine did 20 years 

ago. And under Stage V, EU environmental 

requirements for AG machines 

have become the strictest in 

the world. Our farms in Europe are 

small, in nature, we have about 10 

million agricultural holdings and 2/3 

of them have less than 5 hectares. The 

whole CO 2 

output from agriculture 

(crops, soil, animals) accounts for 

about 10.5% of the EU27 greenhouse 

gas and CO 2 

equivalent. On the input 

side, the fuel used by AG machinery is 

only good for 1 percent. So actually, 

we have two routes ahead of us if we 

want to reduce CO 2 

emissions from 

fuel use: one is the use of alternative 

fuels and drives, the second is the 

increase of energy efficiency by optimized 

use of the machinery within 

the process of growing crops. Alternative 

fuels like pure rapeseed oil or 

biomethane can be produced on the 

farm and be part of the new business 

model to compensate CO 2 

production 

in other sectors. The second route 

ahead of us is fuel efficiency, because 

fuel consumption constitutes about 50 

percent of the TCO for a tractor. The 

real opportunity now is best practice 

for fuel efficiency over the whole production 

process. There’s a project in 

our area called Ecotec which looked 

to fuel efficiency and delivered crossmanufacture 

evidence showing that 

innovative machinery existing today, 

intelligent process control available 

today and modern operating concepts 

can considerably reduce yield related 

fuel consumption against conventional 

processes. We’re talking about 

fuel savings of up to 40 percent, and 

if we add to this intelligent forms of 

machinery and data management, 

this will potentially further optimize 

the CO 2 

balance for agricultural machinery. 

In conclusion, we have many 

options available, but there is no onesize-fits-all. 

In the end we need the 

farmers to retain the freedom of choice 

over which option to use for their 

farm in the most sustainable and costeffective 

way.” 

Now an OEM has the floor, and what 

an OEM! John Deere: “There are four 

reasons why we need electrification: 

efficiency, power density, controllability 

and dynamic response behaviour. 

We presented a prototype in 2017 with 

a lithium-ion battery. The back part 

of the vehicle was carrying the complete 

functionality of the tractor. The 

weakness of the electrified system is 

the battery: we cannot package enough 

energy in big tractors because the 

battery would be empty in one and a 

half hours. So we electrified the formerly 

battery electric tractor with a 

cable drum and a robot arm which 

carried for laying down the cable without 

putting too much mechanical 

load to the cable. When we built this, 

we learned that the cable guidance 

process is something a human being 

28 

29

REPORT 

#CUMMINS #DANA #FPTINDUSTRIAL 

CEMA: “Actually, if you take a tractor that was put on the market just a 

couple of years ago, it emitted 95 percent less in pm than a comparable 

machine did twenty years ago.” 

cannot operate, so we removed the 

cap and the result was the tractor on 

the lower part of the slide. If you think 

of such a solution for the future, you 

easily find that you can increase machine 

performance: this tractor has a 

500hp power in the body of a 250hp 

tractor. Let’s come back to the near 

future, the transmission for adapting 

the transmission ratio for the drivetrain 

and it has also the capability to 

off-board power for the implements. 

This solution has many advantages 

and we expect it to be released quite 

soon. On the mid-term (until 2030) 

the maximum level for battery electric 

farm machinery is about 100hp. For 

other applications which go to higher 

power we will need diesel-like fuels 

which can be produced on farm.” 

A final round about alternative fuels 

we’ve been working on is the 2.8-liter 

prototype, mounted on a vineyard 

tractor that will be used on a CO 2 

-free 

Barolo harvest project. We’re working 

on a 2.8 diesel coupled with an electric 

motor fitted in a very compact arrangement. 

Probably hybrid can also 

provide benefits to larger tractors to 

improve traction or provide electricity 

to some tools, but also in that case integration 

of electric power might have 

these benefits.” 

Cummins: “At this moment probably 

hybridization for sprayers or feeders 

can be like short- to mid-term solution. 

Mild hybrid could also bring 

some benefits to tractors and the combines 

because it will allow to downsize 

the engine, while the electrical 

power will boost the overall system 

power. Probably this is not very apand 

circular economy. 

John Deere: “The only alternative 

that we can currently see is biofuel, 

especially plant oil and biodiesel, but 

if we look to the renewable energy directive 

you see that the use of biofuels 

is limited to 7 percent of total energy 

consumption in mobility. On the other 

hand, if you look to what is planned 

in the energy strategy of the European 

Commission, you see that the aims at 

replacing energy consumption through 

synthetic fuels by 2.6 percent in 

2030 is not much.” 

FPT: “We believe that natural gas 

or biomethane can represent a ready 

and short-term alternative. On one 

side we have developed a 6.7-liter gas 

engine with the same performance, 

durability and robustness of its diesel 

version. Another research project 

plicable for Europe but worldwide we 

see the trend for the increased size 

of the farm, which drives the need 

for bigger machines. Duty cycles required 

for the tractors demand high 

power and consistent work rate so internal 

combustion engine is preferred. 

TCO will become driver only when 

the technologies and the components 

cost will go down and the system cost 

will be comparable with the internal 

combustion engine system.” 

Dana Inc.: “It’s clear to everybody 

that electrification is possible in the 

low power range while for larger 

machines we need other solutions. 

The challenge for a powertrain supplier 

like us is to provide a solution 

which is optimized, no matter what 

the energy source is. The driveline architecture 

itself now sees a variety of 

solutions: a single motor driving the 

wheels via a transmission or even in 

a direct drive configuration; e-axles 

with two or four motors per machine. 

There is no right solution, there 

is only the solution that best fits each 

application. If we need to look at 

the vehicle requirements (performance, 

requirements, emission, profile, 

duty cycle) and we need to combine 

all these elements when choosing the 

right motor, gearbox, driveline units, 

the real challenge is to make sure that 

our system’s configuration is not done 

by looking at each component individually 

but looking at the system and 

at its performance. In most cases this 

is actually complicated, that’s why we 

use advanced optimization techniques 

to find the best compromise. But the 

right performance cannot be achieved 

without the right components, so 

we are investing on both mechanical 

and electric components. In terms 

of mechanical components, we have 

two different trends: one is the need 

for higher efficiency in electric machines 

driven by the cost of the battery, 

sometimes rethinking the design 

of the components; the second trend 

is speed: electric motors are normally 

much faster than electric motors, 

which means the traditional components 

won’t work and they have to be 

redesigned for electric solutions. We 

are focusing a lot of attention on synchronous 

motor, without magnets but 

much more efficient than the typical 

asynchronous motor. Collaboration 

with the OEMs is a key aspect here 

because only knowing the application 

very well we can optimize it.” 

30 

31

INTERVIEWS 

#KUBOTA #EIMAINTERNATIONAL #DIESELENGINES 

KUBOTA EUROPE 

SMALL 

AND BIG 

SIZES 

FOCUS ON KUBOTA D902-K 

Xavier Hamel, Senior Export Sales Manager, Engine 

Division, Kubota Europe SAS, explains that “all the Kubota 

engines are designed for many applications, with 

any specific features at the base of the design. Only 

for generators we choose specific settings and a technical 

structure, otherwise all these small engines can 

be adapted to any kind of applications. In this particular 

case, the D902-K, the goal was to achieve the zero 

black smoke emissions. For the electrification of the 

engine, we used CAN communication, and this is the 

innovation we have introduced with this engine. I think 

it’s the best solution for the actual needs of the market. 

That’s why in the future this technology might be the 

flagship of our range.” 

Ryota Hiraiwa: “Equipped with a one-of-a-kind commonrail 

system developed exclusively for small engines, the 

D902-K comes with a new combustion system, TVCR.” 

Kubota faces 2022 with the awareness 

of having withstood the 

shock of the pandemic and having 

gained a significant market 

share in off-highway applications, also 

in Europe. We interviewed Takayuki 

Tsujimoto (Vice President Business 

Unit Engine Europe - Kubota Holding 

Europe), Ryota Hiraiwa (General Manager, 

Engine Division, Kubota Europe 

SAS), Xavier Hamel (Senior Export 

Sales Manager, Engine Division, Kubota 

Europe SAS) of Kubota Business 

Unit Engine Europe at the SAIM stand 

during EIMA. 

What are Kubota’s strategies for 

2022, after such a long period of 

pandemic? 

Takayuki Tsujimoto: After the pandemic, 

the economy is growing globally 

and so is the engine business. Engine 

manufacturers are trying to develop 

new alternatives for the future, for the 

next five or ten years, but still combustion 

engines will be our major business. 

It is important to balance both sides 

of the relationship: in the middle 

there is a customer, on one side there 

is a strong and reliable company, 

on the other side a dealer, who has 

to be a kind of translator of the language 

of engine block into a different 

language. How do you under- 

We spoke to Kubota 

management on many 

topics, including the 

new D902-K engine 

stand the specific needs of the local 

customer? 

Xavier Hamel: It’s quite right to say 

that the company needs the support of 

a “translator”. The ability of Mr. Furuta, 

President of Kubota Europe SAS, 

Paris, in the 1990s, was to find a partner 

that, more than a translator, knew 

the products, the markets and the right 

way to introduce them. That’s why we 

consider SAIM as a partner: because 

they know our products like we do, but 

they know the local markets much better 

than us. This has been the ability 

of Mr. Furuta: in Italy we have SAIM, 

in Spain TransDiesel, in Holland 

Prins Maasdijk, in Belgium Matermaco, 

as partners of the French Kubota 

company. Kubota’s network all over 

Europe was also created through our 

sister companies in Germany and the 

UK many years ago and has always 

been very professional. 

Massimo Donà, CEO of SAIM: Xavier 

has spent more than 21 years in 

Kubota, so he played a very important 

role in our growth in Italy, he has 

contributed to the success of SAIM 

exactly with a very close relationship 

with every single OEM with the help 

of Michelangelo Di Gregorio and, in 

very recent years, Paolo Bassi (both 

are SAIM sales representatives, editor’s 

note). 

Michelangelo Di Gregorio, SAIM 

Sales Manager: We are proud to be 

here today to discuss about Kubota 

because the quality of the product is 

off the table, but Xavier was able to 

transmit this quality to the market. 

Step by step, we propose solutions 

and make the customers think that 

Japan is just behind the corner. 

Massimo Donà: Thirty years are not 

a short period, but they elapsed very 

quickly, and ahead of us there are at 

least further thirty years of intense cooperation. 

Kubota is enhancing its range up 

the 5-litre Diesel of the Year 2019, 

but Kubota is still the one of the 

strongest players below 96 kW. Do 

you have news about this? 

Ryota Hiraiwa: Today we present for 

the first time in the world the D902- 

K, a recently developed common-rail 

engine in the Super Mini family that 

will be able to mark a path towards 

lower emissions, compliant with 

China IV standards. D902-K is the 

electronically-controlled diesel engine 

below 19 kW. It saves users of 

our current engines from the need to 

develop new machinery to accommodate 

changes in dimensions and/ 

or structures and is complying with 

the latest emission standards around 

the world. The end result is that it 

is compact and easy to mount, with 

clean emissions (the amount of black 

smoke is reduced to an imperceptible 

level) and low fuel consumption. This 

innovative engine corresponds to various 

regional emission standards, 

including China’s national smoke 

regulations Category III, which are 

the toughest state-wide smoke emission 

standards there, in addition to 

EPA Tier 4, Stage V, and China IV 

standards (implemented in December 

2022). This engine is able to use 

CAN, thus allowing engine speed and 

torque to be controlled using signals 

from vehicles. 

32 

33

kWe - OFFHIGHWAY 

#ECOMONDO #HYBRID #ELECTRIFICATION 

SCANIA POWER SOLUTIONS 

A MODULAR 

ELECTRIC 

APPROACH 

Christian Levin, CEO of Scania and Traton Group: “Our joint venture (editor’s 

note: MAN, Scania, Daimler Truck and Volvo Group) will be a strong push for the 

rapid breakthrough of battery electric trucks and coaches.” 

The plan is to install and operate at least 1,700 high-performance green energy 

charging points on and close to highways as well as at logistic and destination points 

within five years of the establishment of the joint venture. 

Ecomondo, in English Eco-World 

− it would perhaps be more 

correct to use the plural Eco- 

Worlds, referring to one of the 

most transversal trade fairs − has become 

the backbone of a series of highly 

diversified productive companies. 

The green horizon “patent” represents 

its verticality certificate, which led 

Scania Power Solutions to present its 

electrification proposal for industrial 

applications. A formula which fits 

both purely electric solutions, particularly 

suitable for operations in a 

urban perimeter, underground mining, 

and telescopic handlers. In its hybrid 

form, on the contrary, it is a good candidate 

for operating machines, such as 

quarry and construction site vehicles, 

fire-fighting machines and cranes. In 

the generation field, the emphasis is 

on battery storage systems, where batteries 

are both new and reconditioned. 

As for the marine industry, the focus is 

on hulls which work at low loads for 

a long time. It should be known that 

the griffon’s electric machine is 650 

volts, 230 to 280 kilowatts, measures 

485 millimetres with SAE1 bell, and 

370 mm without it. Reversibility is 

the basis for a project which provides 

the same flanging as a diesel solution. 

The following is what emerged from 

an early morning meeting over a cup 

Scania launched 

an integrated 

hybrid solution for 

industrial and marine 

applications 

of coffee. “We are fortunate to follow 

the powertrain development for our 

vehicles. We can benefit from a path 

towards electrification that has begun 

in trucks and buses a long time ago. 

The Scania modular system approach 

allowed us to find out that this solution 

can also fit industrial and marine 

applications, where it was possible to 

go further and combine several electric 

motors to a single heat engine, or 

implement those alternative modes of 

operation which are not possible for 

trucks. In the course of 2022, we will 

intensify our current contacts with 

the manufacturers interested in this 

type of solution in order to start the 

projects.” 

An industrial-style presentation 

under the banner of the premium 

truck brand. So, you do believe in 

this project, don’t you? 

There is no more doubt in that Scania 

believes in the industrial sector. We 

have a dedicated division which shares 

the R&D with the trucks. Right now we 

are at the kick-off, the product has been 

used and needs to be optimised for different 

applications. We are organising 

field tests, and we can say that all big 

industrial companies, so not only the 

generation field, are considering electrified 

solutions. The world is so wide 

that it is only in the imagination of 

the company’s technical department 

to find the right application, whether 

the machine works indoors or in the 

city centre. In terms of generation, the 

most interesting use of it is represented 

by energy storage systems. There are 

also plenty of applications that match 

very well, such as ARFFs, airport machines, 

dumpers, and all those requiring 

high braking forces. 

When you talk about “the product”, 

do you mean the full electric solution? 

It is modular, so it can be installed as 

a hybrid, serial, and also operate as a 

stand-alone unit. A downsizing and the 

possibility to add up to twelve 32 kWh 

battery packs should be considered. It 

is possible to effectively cover power 

ranges of up to 1,000 kilowatts with an 

extremely simple machine, compared 

to 12 and 16-cylinder engines. The 

time horizon is a couple of years, its 

serial production will start in the second 

half of 2023, in Sweden. A collaboration 

with Northvolt is underway for 

the next generation battery cells.” 

In fact, the Volkswagen Group invested 

around 900 million Euros in bat- 

tery-related activities with Northvolt 

in 2020. The Germans will acquire 

around 20 percent of the shares and 

will get a seat on the Board of Directors, 

subject to approval by the Antitrust 

Authorities. A fifty-fifty joint 

venture is planned to set up a 16 GWh 

battery cell plant. 

“Since a battery cell consumes a lot 

of energy, we thereby reduce the environmental 

impact in terms of CO 2 

. 

At the plant which is under construction 

in Södertälje we will assemble 

the modules and packs. After all, no 

engine manufacturer makes pistons... 

We adhere to the integration principle, 

which has helped us with our deliveries. 

By producing most of the components 

on-site and directly taking care 

of the assemblies, we have minimised 

any risk of production downtimes.” 

34 

35

PREVIEWS 

#DEUTZ #ICE #OFFROAD #EIMA 

DEUTZ @ EIMA INTERNATIONAL 

5.2 

AND 

2.9 HP 

Deutz AG is creating a new reporting structure and introducing the segments 

“Classic” and “Green”. With effect from January 1, 2022, all activities 

connected with the development and production of new non-diesel drives 

will be assigned to the Green segment. 

At EIMA International, Deutz 

made two front-page announcements, 

known under 

the name of TCD 5.2 and TCD 

2.9 HP. Regarding the market vision, 

it is believed that especially in the agricultural 

field the trend could be to 

shift to engines with a power which 

is less than 56 kilowatts. Switching 

from a mechanical engine to an electronic 

motor resulted in significantly 

higher performances: remaining below 

this threshold prevents the use of 

SCR and AdBlue. The Deutz range 

– below 56 kW – includes the turbocharged 

version only, the 55.4 kW 

four-cylinder TCD 2.9, which can be 

found in lower sizes (50, 45 and 36 

kW), the TCD 2.9, with intercooler, 

which Deutz has designed in a standard 

and HT (High Torque) version, 

tercooler version with various power 

ratings. 

Completely different sectors have 

ordered the HP (High Power) prototype, 

which will be mass-produced 

from 2022, while the HT is already 

homologated and produced on a large 

scale, even in the USA. These engine 

types are highly flexible in terms of 

installation, with a high degree of customisation: 

for example, depending 

on the space, available to house the 

after-treatment, the manufacturer can 

choose whether to receive it with an 

ATS which is pre-installed or supplied 

in an accessory box, and integrally 

mount it to the engine, in compliance 

with the directives. It is possible to 

provide motors with a 12 or 24 Volt 

electrical system according to the customer 

needs. On the 2.2-litre 3-cylinwith 

a very high torque comprised 

between 1,000 and 1,500 rpm. The 

2.9 range comes alongside the 2.2 

series: a very compact three-cylinder 

unit delivering up to 56 kW, also 

available in a Turbo only or Turbo in- 

Deutz is strongly 

oriented towards 

alternative drivelines 

but does not forget 

the development of 

the ICE technology. 

The TCD 5.2 and TCD 

2.9 HP complete the 

extensive range 

in Cologne 

der engine, an air compressor can also 

be fitted. 

After illustrating the TCD 2.9 HP, how 

would you describe the TCD 5.2? 

The 5.2-litre will be available from 

March 2022. With a power ranging 

from 100 to 170 kilowatts, it fills the 

gap in the Deutz range created by the 

transition from Stage IIIB. The same 

engine, without substantial changes, 

will be able to reach 170 kW. Thanks 

to a know-how derived from the automotive 

industry, the after-treatment 

is very compact in size, it is around 

half a metre. It is also the first engine 

designed in Cologne without EGR, a 

choice that Deutz is likely to replicate. 

In the current range of engines, which 

are above 4 litres, it is necessary to 

have a mixing pipe (to connect the 

DPF and SCR) with a built-in urea 

injector, a rigid member between the 

two parts that must be taken into account 

during installation. The 3.6 

Stage V lesson and innovation has 

been learnt on the TCD 5.2, the urea 

injector is integrated in the DPF, in 

the rear cap, with advantages in terms 

of compactness. 

Will EGR, a flagship of German 

technology, be removed? 

Deutz is constantly evolving in the development 

of its product range, and 

plans to offer engine types with or 

without EGR depending on the technical 

features of the engine and its after-treatment 

system as well as on the 

performances of the system dynamism 

and reliability. The TCD 5.2 will be 

very dynamic, compact and install- 

able on small size machines which 

however require high dynamism. 

Another noteworthy improvement can 

be found in the exhaust gas treatment 

used by our TCD 2.9L4 High Power. 

In fact, we have reduced the SCR 

length by bringing the two catalyst 

bodies (SCR and Clean-Up) closer 

together, while creating an insulation 

along its entire length, thus eliminating 

unused space. Thanks to this 

development we can install the engine 

with its after-treatment mounted 

above the engine inside the tractor at 

about 10 millimetres from the bonnet. 

Therefore, we limit the passage of the 

very high temperatures (450°C on 

SCR and >500°C on DPF) present 

in the exhaust gas treatments to a few 

hotspots, which are only present at the 

sensor outlets. 

36 

37

kWe & H2 - EVENTS 

#DEUTZ #COREUM #ELECTRIFICATION #HYDROGEN 

DEUTZ DAYS 2021 

ONE 

STEP 

FORWARD 

DEUTZ GOES “GREEN” 

Deutz is so focused on electric and hydrogen applications 

that it has set up a special division. With effect from 

January 1, 2022, all activities connected with the 

development and production of new non-diesel drives 

will be assigned to the Green segment. This includes 

electric drives, the subsidiary Torqeedo, and the battery 

management specialist Futavis. 

Frank Hiller, CEO of Deutz: “The new segmentation of our 

commercial operations will, above all, provide the capital 

markets with a more transparent picture of our work on 

off-highway technology for a carbon-neutral future. It is 

backed by a growth strategy that very clearly sets out our 

milestones and activities in the period up to 2031. At the 

same time, the new strategy leaves Deutz’s employees 

in no doubt that the Company is fully committed to the 

transformation of its product portfolio.” 

The Coreum sees itself as an innovation and technology platform in the field of 

construction equipment and wants to position itself as a meeting point and venue for 

training and continuing professional development in the sector. In the future, Deutz 

will use the modern facilities and infrastructure at the site, which covers around 

120,000 square meters, to demonstrate its products. 

We’re close to Frankfurt, the 

Rhine River flows a few 

kilometres away and makes 

Cologne feel even closer. At 

the Coreum, the Deutz Days are staged, 

a showcase for the “polyphonic” approach 

to the decarbonisation score. It 

is more than three years since Electrip, 

and e-Deutz does not just mean electrification. 

Focus also on hydrogen and 

alternative fuels. These are the premises, 

by Frank Hiller, CEO of Deutz, 

and Michael Wellenzohn, member of 

the Deutz Board of Management: “Our 

hydrogen engine is on the test bench 

at our Cologne site. At the beginning 

of 2022 we will install it into a genset 

and ship it to our local utility partner to 

produce electric power. Another focus 

is our fuel cell technology, the cooperation 

with Blue World Technologies 

all-electric drive systems in various voltage 

levels. The e-Deutz 360V system, integrated 

here in the Comet 4E airfield 

tractor from Mulag and the CC1485 

crawler crane from Maeda, as well as 

the 48V in a ZX26 mini-excavator from 

Hitachi – both including state-of-the-art 

battery technology “made by Deutz”. 

Furthermore, we will be commissioning 

the first hydrogen-powered genset 

based on our TCG 7.8 H2 as part of a 

POC outside our factory gates as early 

as next year (editor’s note: among the 

electrified applications at the Coreum, 

Deutz put on display also Hitachi 48V 

Mini Excavator, Maeda Mini Crane 

CC1485 and the electric airport towing 

tractor Mulag Comet 4E HV). Last but 

not least, we will launch our mobile fast 

charging station Powertree as early as 

next year. This already broad portfohas 

been announced. By 2024, we’ll be 

ready to offer our products. Also, when 

it comes to reliable ICEs, e-fuels are 

a hot topic, and all of our engines are 

e-fuel ready, today.” Fabian Mäling, 

Deutz Product Management, explains: 

“Due to the pandemic and its economic 

impact, we experienced slight delays 

on our strategic path to CO 2 

-neutral 

drives. Despite this, we are already in 

the starting blocks with a range of innovative 

and climate-friendly alternative 

drive systems. First of all, there are our 

Deutz Days 2021, 

at the Coreum. 

Electrification, 

hydrogen, biofuels, 

strategies and so on 

lio will be complemented in the future 

by our cooperation with Blue World in 

the field of fuel cells. It is essential to 

be able to offer this broad portfolio of 

alternative drive systems, as a future diversification 

of energy sources by power 

classes and applications in the non-road 

sector is likely”. Mäling rounds off his 

comments with a consideration of the 

outlook for batteries. “The technological 

leaps and short development times in 

the field of energy storage systems are 

challenging. Before we have achieved 

the SOP of our first battery generation, 

we are already working on the second 

generation with higher energy density, 

lower costs and flexible scalability in 

terms of shape and cell chemistry.” Germany 

believes in hydrogen. The Federal 

Government expects that around 90 to 

110 TWh of hydrogen will be needed 

by 2030. In order to cover part of this 

demand, Germany plans to establish 

up to 5 GW of generation capacity. For 

instance, the Cologne regional public 

transport company will have a total of 

52 hydrogen-powered fuel cell buses by 

the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022, 

making it the largest fleet of fuel cell 

buses in Europe. Markus Bollmann, 

Technical Sales Support Manager: “This 

hydrogen genset will run at the beginning 

of 2022, in Cologne. We can store 

the electrical power and then we can 

charge on and off-highway electric vehicles 

everywhere and independent of the 

electrical infrastructure.” Talking about 

the Powertree, a mobile high power 

charger for construction sites, Bollmann 

said that “the standard charging power 

is 150 kW, but it can be increased to 

300 kW. To avoid downtime you can re- 

charge an excavator during lunch time, 

for example. With the current set up, you 

can recharge the excavator from 10% to 

90% in 45 minutes.” 

“Environmentally friendly construction 

sites are now a reality, not a distant 

dream. The Maeda CC 1485 is already 

fully functional. Our electric drive is 

quiet, efficient and emission free, even 

when used on a construction site,” stated 

Markus Müller, Chief Technology Officer 

at Deutz AG. “I believe that electrification 

will be possible upto 50 kW today. 

We may be able to increase that in a 

next step up to 100 kW and still provide 

our customers competitive products. But 

that depends both on the regulatory environment 

as well as the decrease of the 

battery cost,” Müller answered. 2022 

looks to be the year of the first electrified 

Deutz systems in the field. 

38 

39

OFF-HIGHWAY 

#TRACTORS #HYBRID #BIOMETHANE 

AUGA M1 

BIO 

METHANE 

HYBRID 

Auga Group’s CEO Kęstutis Juščius: “We’ll commit to making 

this tractor and other technologies under development available 

to farmers throughout the world, thus giving our contribution to 

solving the global issue of agricultural pollution”. 

Hybridization in industrial applications 

is inevitably linked to 

the marriage between a Diesel 

cycle combustion engine and 

an electric system, typically threephase 

asynchronous motors matched to 

a battery pack. The passenger car sector 

broke free of this paradigm, probably 

due to the domino effect of the Dieselgate 

tsunami and diesel engines being 

pilloried as people’s enemy as well as 

being replaced by petrol engines as 

internal combustion powerplants. But 

then are we really sure that the diesel 

vs petrol dichotomy is the only choice 

when considering hybrid propulsion 

systems? In the Baltic States some 

would not agree – at least they didn’t 

when they used a gas engine to design 

the powertrain of an open-field tractor. 

Distinctive marks? It pretty much 

resembles those old-style articulated 

monsters crossing American and 

Asian fields. The Auga M1 is, instead, 

brand new and the first working prototype 

hybrid tractor running on the 

biomethane and electric combo. 

It was manufactured by Lithuania-based 

Auga Group, a European 

leader in organic farming that also specializes 

in devising “AgTech” solutions 

for sustainable food production. As we 

reported the news at the end of 2021, 

A hybrid application 

with biomethane? 

Lithuania has figured 

it out with the Auga M1 

tractor 

the project was still in its prototype 

stage, with mass production scheduled 

to begin in 2022. No detailed powertrain 

info can thus be unveiled for the 

time being, which includes the internal 

combustion engine’s specs. More info 

will come ASAP. Here is a sneak-peak 

at what they say about it at the motherhouse 

headquartered in Vilnius, the 

country’s capital. 

“This is our company’s first step towards 

providing technological solutions 

that will remove climate pollution 

from the entire food chain, from 

the field to the table, allowing us to 

produce food without impacting the 

environment,” says Auga Group’s 

CEO Kęstutis Juščius. “Our group 

manages about 39 thousand hectares 

of organically certified land employing 

over 1200 people. When we first 

calculated our emissions three years 

ago, we realized that a good 30% of 

the amount comes from the fossil fuels 

largely used by our company’s 

tractors. So that’s why we decided to 

become leaders in developing technologies 

that will allow us to set new 

standards for sustainable agriculture 

and dramatically reduce pollution 

along the entire food value chain. 

Our biomethane/electric tractor is the 

first result of our work to this aim”. 

According to the Lithuanian team in 

charge of the project, biomethane is 

crucial in that it is “harvested” from 

farming waste and then converted, 

thus offsetting more emissions per 

energy unit than it releases in its production 

cycle. Auga M1 is also said 

to have overcome the hurdle of low 

mileage thanks to its design that provides 

for huge tanks to be hosted in the 

tractor’s rear section. Hybrid technology 

is at the heart of the system. When 

the tractor is in operation, the biomethane-fuelled 

400 hp combustion engine 

generates energy that is sent to 

the four electric motors operating the 

wheels. During less demanding work 

cycles, the vehicle will store surplus 

energy into the batteries. So no energy 

gets wasted during low-duty operation 

and this makes possible to use a relatively 

small engine in that peak power 

demand can be fulfilled by the electric 

combo as needed. According to the 

manufacturer, the M1 can run for up 

to 12 hours a day, after which you’ll 

just need to replace the storage tanks. 

“Our invention,” says K. Juščius, “allows 

to create a wide range of tractor 

applications and to make them acces- 

sible to all farmers wishing to work 

sustainably. We are not developing 

this technology just to curb our own 

emissions and keep to our promise of 

becoming a zero-impact company by 

2030. We have a bigger goal: we’ll 

commit to making this tractor and 

other technologies under development 

available to farmers throughout the 

world, thus giving our contribution to 

solving the global issue of agricultural 

pollution.” We’ll be waiting, too. 

Currently, a few manufacturers can 

handle this technology – biomethane 

plus electric (FPT Industrial and 

Cummins on top, followed by Deutz. 

Caterpillar and Perkins are familiar 

with biomethane use for stationary 

applications. MAN Engines, Rolls- 

Royce and Scania, too, for engines in 

the range 5 to16 L). 

40 

41

TECHNO 

#WALVOIL #DIECI #EIMAINTERNATIONAL #TELESCOPICHANDLER 

WALVOIL ALS 

ADAPTIVE 

LOAD 

SENSING 

Davide Mesturini, Walvoil R&D Manager: “During ALS development, 

however, we discovered that by customising the software and acting on various 

implementation parameters, it was possible to also implement other solutions, 

thus increasing its functionality, a feature that the user perceives instantly, while 

consumptions can be observed in the long term. Walvoil spent a month working 

on the PHC Studio software, a fully programmable and customisable system.” 

In order to ensure a simultaneous 

control of the movements, the 

hydraulic pump generates more 

pressure than necessary. This is 

a pre-set value of “stand-by margin”, 

which constitutes a considerable loss 

of energy, limiting the overall performance 

of the vehicle and unnecessarily 

increasing wear and consumption. 

Walvoil’s Adaptive Load Sensing is 

able to modulate the “stand-by margin” 

value according to the actual work 

requirements, automatically varying it 

only as and when required. Together 

with Dieci, the ALS was successfully 

tested on an Agri Plus 42.7 GD telescopic 

handler and Agri Farmer 34.7 

GD. During the tests, a drop in energy 

loss values of 28% was detected during 

arm operations, and up to 45% with the 

vehicle in motion. These tests also re- 

vealed further advantages, first of all in 

terms of safety: by acting directly on 

the hydraulic signal, the ALS avoids 

the functional complexity associated 

with the digital signal. Moreover, in 

the event of faults, the original operation 

is automatically restored, avoiding 

any machine shutdown. These were 

the premises. We got into this matter 

with Davide Mesturini, Research and 

The Walvoil Adaptive 

Load Sensing is a 

system that allows 

manipulation of the 

LS signal to adjust 

the pressure margin 

applied to the valve 

Development Manager at Walvoil, and 

Enrico Ognibene, Technical Manager 

at Dieci. 

Let’s start with the consumption, 

which affects the end user: to what 

extent does the ALS guarantee a reduction 

of up to 6%? 

Ognibene: Regarding the machine, we 

defined standard work cycles, simulating 

real working conditions, and tested 

the same vehicle with and without 

the ALS. We repeated the work cycles 

for a given time, on the same day and 

with the same operator. Once the electronics 

were checked with the CANbus 

communicating the consumption detected 

by the engine control unit, an 

empirical test was conducted to define 

the fuel level at the beginning and end 

of the test. Consumptions were checked 

by topping up the values recorded on 

the CANbus matched those measured 

experimentally. Of course, those work 

cycles were defined on the basis of the 

machine’s main uses, which are lifting 

and positioning loads and moving 

them. So, initially we placed different 

loads (500 and 1,000 kilos) on racks 

at two positions of a track, and carried 

them from one side to the other with a 

telescopic handler. After repeating this 

test for 30 minutes, we placed the load 

on the same track by inserting it into 

the rack rather than simply resting it 

on it: an operation which required a 

greater precision in the movement of 

the arm. Here we measured the consumption 

and counted the number of 

successfully completed cycles to quantify 

the work efficiency and handling 

precision. The other two tests involved 

the machine movement with and without 

a load (1,000 kilos), thus simulating 

the transport or towing of a small 

trailer. With the load we monitored the 

movement for a given time measuring 

the fuel consumption with and without 

the ALS. 

From the OEM’s point of view, besides 

the functional benefits, how will 

the ALS be perceived by the user? 

Ognibene: The user will certainly see 

an immediate benefit in fuel consumption 

and running costs: a real 5-6% 

over a machine lifetime is not a negligible 

figure and can be quantified in a 

few thousand euros. In addition, being 

able to perform more precise movements 

is useful for stacking bales neatly, 

for example, and this was one of the 

aspects which was most appreciated by 

the test operator. 

Did this project start with consump- 

tion optimisation or positioning optimisation? 

Mesturini: We started with consumption, 

since as R&D we have several ongoing 

projects aiming to optimise and 

make oleodynamics more efficient. We 

consider this need to be a priority, also 

with a view to hybridising machines. 

From a theoretical point of view there 

was a chance of doing a good job since 

load-sensing systems necessarily cover 

this margin, which on certain machines 

can reach a significant percentage of 

the working pressure. Machines often 

have a starting stand-by which is set 

quite high and can therefore represent 

as much as 20 per cent of the machine’s 

average working pressure. By modulating 

this stand-by we can achieve advantages 

in terms of consumption, and 

this was our main focus. 

42 

43

kWe - TECHNO 

#BONFIGLIOLI #GREEN ECONOMY #SUPPLYCHAIN #ECOMONDO 

BONFIGLIOLI ELECTRIFICATION 

PRIMARY 

AND 

ALL-ROUND 

Bonfiglioli Group reached the figure of 1 billion euros in sales in December 

2021. As Sonia Bonfiglioli said: “When my father founded Bonfiglioli 65 years 

ago, I don’t think he could have imagined how far we would have come and the 

changes we have made over the years.” 

Bonfiglioli wants to put itself 

forward as a partner supporting 

customers in the transition 

towards the electrification of 

work equipment,” says Bonfiglioli 

Group’s CEO Fausto Carboni at the 

outset. 

“Let’s start with the reducers actuated 

by hydraulic motors, which in 

turn are driven by an ICE. In this 

case, hydraulic motors can be replaced 

by electric ones. We have built 

competences from our experience 

with industrial automation, which is 

expressed in our permanent magnet 

motors, high power density and compact 

size. Bonfiglioli offers the market 

a midway solution under the name 

of “all-in-one”. It comprises an electric 

motor for machinery in a medium 

power range, an inverter and a PCU 

– power control unit. The entry-level 

PCU version coming from automotive 

applications only features the accelerator 

pedal signal (open/closed) and 

is thus unsuitable for work machinery 

characterized by more complex working 

cycles as well as multichannel 

The interview with 

CEO Fausto Carboni 

helps us understand 

the challenges that 

Bonfiglioli will face 

during the year. To 

give just one example, 

full electrification is the 

ultimate goal 

controllers. In most cases, full electrification 

has to be seen as the ultimate 

goal, not the starting point. This 

is why we offer primary-level electrification 

and all-round electrification. 

We combine the experience gained 

with working equipment – subject to 

energy efficiency requirements – with 

that gained in industrial automation 

-a field that’s very stimulating, complex 

and demanding. 

Ecomondo Key Energy hosted a preview 

of the “all in one” coming in 

two versions: the first made for work 

equipment fitted with single-stage final 

drives that slows down the electric 

motor to align it with combustion 

engine speed. There is a gear reduction 

ratio needed to bring the axle to 

the speed required by the machine’s 

transmission. The other version in- 

cludes a steel gear reducer with differential 

that can be used on any vehicle 

needing one output shaft for two 

half-shafts.” 

Green economy also means reconciling 

the productivity, emission 

reduction and equipment manoeuvrability 

requirements. What’s 

Bonfiglioli’s value added? 

In all of these respects, it all boils 

down to software programming. 

There is nothing a machine cannot 

do, once that the logics of motion 

control from industrial automation 

are applied. The technology is there, 

but the sector specific application is 

still to be invented. 

Currently, the market still lacks widespread 

competences in this field. 

That’s why we think we’re offering 

equipment professionals a strategic 

opportunity with our primary-level 

electrification mode. It took our 

customers years to gain an in-depth 

knowledge of hydraulics – it actually 

marks the difference between 

a machine and another – and become 

skilled system engineers. When 

switching to electric, said knowledge 

tends to get back to square one. You 

need to be familiar with electronic 

controls and the system providers 

themselves can fill this gap. 

Bonfiglioli set up a spin-off from 

their mobile division, which will 

provide skilled resources from this 

ad-hoc department. The professionals 

tackling these needs that we may 

term “disruptive”, have the required 

flexibility to tackle the mission we 

have entrusted on them. 

How is Bonfiglioli Group doing 

through the hardships of semi-finished 

material/component supply 

problems and booming energy and 

logistics costs? 

I feel I can say Bonfiglioli is in a position 

to withstand these stress factors. 

We never resorted to massive delocalization. 

The plants of China, India, Brasil, 

USA, Vietnam, have been working 

for some 10 years now based on the 

local-for-local principle. You produce 

for your reference market so you avoid 

shipping containers, differently than 

those who delocalized production to 

import from low-cost production sites 

to western markets. What worries me 

most is the shortage of raw materials. 

44 

45

TECHNO 

#MANENGINES #GAS #GEELYGROUP #ELECTRICTRUCK #LIEBHERR 

MAN ES: 

H2 READY 

MAN Energy Solutions 

has announced that its 

gas-powered, four-stroke 

engines are “H2-ready” 

and operable in stationary mode with 

a hydrogen content of up to 25% by 

volume in a gas-fuel mix. As such, 

within the power-plant segment, the 

company’s MAN 35/44G TS, 51/60G 

and 51/60G TS gas engines are now 

designated as H2-ready and capable of 

exploiting hydrogen to further reduce 

CO 2 

emissions. This hydrogen-combusting 

capability enables MAN gas 

engines to meet Level B requirements 

of the European Engine Power Plants 

Association’s (EUGINE) H2-readiness 

standard. With Power-to-X fuels such 

as synthetic natural gas (SNG), MAN 

engines can already be operated in a 

completely climate-neutral way. 

“Flexible and decentralised, gas-fired 

power plants will play a decisive role 

for a secure power-supply on the pathway 

towards 100% renewable energy,” 

said Gunnar Stiesch, Head of 

Engineering Engines at MAN Energy 

Solutions. “The CO 2 

emissions of these 

power plants can be further reduced 

by mixing the fuel gas with hydrogen. 

Green hydrogen is still a scarce commodity 

and therefore our engines offer 

operators full flexibility within the 

scope of the admixture possible in the 

existing gas network. At the same time, 

we are working on future concepts that 

will enable hydrogen fuelling of up to 

100% as soon as it becomes available 

in large quantities.” 

The adaptive combustion control 

(ACC) of the MAN engines reacts fully 

automatically to varying hydrogen 

contents in the natural gas and enables 

operation without loss of efficiency, 

even with fluctuating H2 content. Gas 

engines already in operation can be 

retrofitted for hydrogen blend-in by 

upgrading the automation and adding 

additional ACC sensors. 

“We are focusing our R&D efforts on 

offering our customers maximum operational 

flexibility and future-proofness,” 

said Stiesch. “The development 

of a hydrogen economy will take several 

years, during which time the infrastructure 

will be upgraded and the 

production of green hydrogen ramped 

up. In the German natural-gas grid, 

for example, a maximum admixture of 

up to 10% is currently possible; in the 

future, 20% will be feasible. With our 

engines, power-plant operators are optimally 

positioned for this situation.” 

HOMTRUCK, THE MULTIFUEL TRUCK WITH 

SPARE BATTERIES 

We are in China, and it is not 

in itself a sensational figure, 

especially when it comes to 

electrification, especially in 

heavy-duty automotive. Farizon Auto, 

the truck arm of the Geely Group, to 

be clear who has controlled Volvo Cars 

since 2010, has officially presented its 

vision of the truck of the future, attentive 

to sustainability and, at the same 

time, rich in technological equipment 

for driving assist and onboard comfort. 

It will be called Homtruck and promises 

to be revolutionary starting from 

its design. The Geely Holding Group 

brand has announced the start of production 

and the very first deliveries 

for early 2024 and defines the next 

generation smart semi-trailer as “one 

of the most advanced and cleanest 

commercial vehicles on the road that 

focuses on efficiency, driver and pedestrian 

safety, and boasts important discoveries 

in sustainable powertrains”. 

Homtruck’s architecture can carry a 

number of powertrain options including 

range extender, hybrid methanol 

and pure electric with battery swap 

option, a technology based on government 

standards recently released 

by the Chinese Ministry of Industry 

and Technology. The Homtruck can be 

“recharged” at service stations, including 

motorway ones, in a few minutes 

compared to the long amounts of time 

required by charging via the column. 

Of course, these are lead-acid batteries, 

the fact is that it is sufficient to re- 

place the battery pack during the lunch 

break, rather than having it recharged, 

to avoid any downtime. Basically, the 

vehicles with this solution, instead of 

stopping to carry out the (long) recharge 

of a few hours at the columns, will 

be able to change batteries at special 

stations, under development and construction 

in recent months, reducing 

downtime and significantly streamlining 

company operations. 

LIEBHERR: H2 DIRECT INJECTION SOLUTIONS FOR HEAVY-DUTY ENGINES 

Liebherr, which is developing “climate-friendly” injection solutions for alternative fuels, has presented H2 direct 

injection as a drive solution for on- and off-highway applications and also unveiled combustion concepts for H2 

engines in the range of 6-16 litres displacement and 200-450 kW. As a development partner and system supplier 

for climate-friendly injection technology, Liebherr offers solutions for hydrogen combustion engines that can be 

used in on- and off-highway applications. Development work in the injection systems product area focuses on lowpressure 

direct injection (LPDI). A 2-valve concept ensures that H2 leakage is kept as low as possible. Depending on 

the particular configuration, the LPDI injector is designed for system pressures of up to 60 bar. Typical applications 

usually lie in the range of 30 bar. Initial test results show promising behaviour of the injector in terms of injection 

rate and small-volume capability. The component thus covers a wide range of applications. Today’s prototypes 

allow customer-specific screw inserts to interface with the hydrogen connection. They are geared towards 

most common connection types and offer the greatest possible flexibility in engine development. 

46 

47

TECHNO 

#VOLVO #HYBRID #HYUNDAIDOOSAN #GENERATORS 

VOLVO HYBRID VESSEL TO AVOID 

INTERFERING WITH THE WILDERNESS 

For Volvo, the choice of a hybrid 

vessel is the logical thing to do 

in order to mitigate the environmental 

impact as much as possible 

and provide the muscle to tackle the 

Arctic Ocean. Volvo Penta is running 

a pilot project with Svalbard’s oldest 

tourist operator, Hurtigruten Svalbard, 

to test a state-of-the-art hybrid Marell 

M15 vessel called Kvitbjørn (Polar 

Bear) that will change how tourists experience 

this natural wonder, delivering 

near-silent operation and creating a 

more enjoyable experience for tourists 

and wildlife alike. Powered by a Volvo 

Penta twin D4-320 DPI Aquamatic 

hybrid solution, the boat has a top 

speed of 32 knots and a cruising speed 

of 25 knots. This vessel, designed and 

built by Marell Boats Sweden AB, will 

be tailored to the customer’s needs and 

robust enough to operate safely in the 

demanding Arctic environment – running 

in sub-zero temperatures with an 

extensive range of 500 Nm. This pioneering 

model is still at the concept stage, 

but could see future development down 

the line. Hurtigruten Svalbard will trial 

paying by the kilowatt-hour for its operation, 

with the boat set to run for more 

than 1,000 hours during the tourist season 

(May 1 st – October 31 st ). All the 

interfaces between the hybrid drive and 

supporting systems were developed 

through close collaboration between 

Marell Boats and Volvo Penta. These 

include the charging, ventilation, heating, 

and air-conditioning systems. The 

complete power drivetrain solution for 

the vessel is based on the Volvo Penta 

D4/D6 Aquamatic DPI package. 

HYUNDAI DOOSAN LAUNCHES DIESEL ENGINE FOR GENERATORS 

Hyundai Doosan Infracore announced the expansion of the DX family with the release of DX22, the latest 

electronic engine of 22L, 12-cylinders for power generators. As an electronic engine for generators, DX22 applies 

a fuel system with the high-pressure common rail to feature high power density of 995 kW at ESP 60 Hz. 

Moreover, its major parts, such as cylinder block, cylinder head, and crankshaft, are manufactured based on highstrength 

design, and they have undergone thorough durability verification. DX22 generator engine has acquired 

EPA Tier 2 certification for emission control. It is eco-friendly enough to meet European Reach & RoHS regulations 

(Restriction of Hazardous Substances). Its design reflects VOC (Voice of Customers), offering customer-friendly 

and safety features. The DX22 generator engine is scheduled to be launched in the North American market in 

December of this year. At the beginning of 2022, the DX22 generator engine that meets CN3 will be introduced 

in the Chinese market. Starting with the launch of the DX22 engine, Hyundai Doosan Infracore plans to build 

a diverse electronic engine sales lineup by 2024 and strengthen its dealer network accordingly. 

48

H2 

#FINCANTIERI #PROTONMOTOR #FUELCELL 

FINCANTIERI AND PROTON. 

FUEL CELLS PARTNERS 

POWERTRAIN 

SUPPLEMENT 

Engines and components for OEM 

Culture, technology, purposes 

And market of Diesel engines 

Established in 1986 

Editor in chief 

Fabio Butturi 

Editorial staff 

Stefano Agnellini, Ornella Cavalli, 

Fabrizio Dalle Nogare 

Cristina Scuteri, Roberto Sommariva 

NEVER STOP 

Wherever you are 

For some, hydrogen is the El Dorado, 

for others, a broken promise, 

for still others, Beckett’s Godot. 

Here is a concrete experience or, 

if you can find it, a case study. 

The Bavarian hydro]]gen fuel cell specialist 

Proton Motor Fuel Cell is now 

successfully delivering its high-tech 

innovation HyShip 72. For the largest 

European shipbuilding group Fincantieri, 

two fully redundant HyShip 72 

product designs were primarily adapted 

for the power supply of the electric 

powertrain and other consumers of the 

ZEUS ship (Zero Emission Ultimate 

Ship). The hydrogen-powered propulsion 

solution is equipped with Proton 

Motor fuel cells, a battery system as 

well as a metal hydride hydrogen sto- 

rage system. The multiple HyShip 72 

applications provide power supply 

for recreational, passenger, cargo, 

working, military ships and submarines. 

The waste heat can also be used 

thermally, as intended for ZEUS, to 

extract the hydrogen from the metal 

hydrate. In mid-December 2021, the 

technical acceptance and official release 

of the first HyShip product by 

Fincantieri and the classification society 

RINA took place for delivery to 

the customer. The core of a singular 

HyShip 72 are two integrated Proton 

Motor stack modules PM 400-120. 

They will be supplemented with a battery 

system and the hydrogen storage 

system based on metal hydride to an 

emission-free electric drive train. 

Contributors 

Carolina Gambino, 

Maria Grazia Gargioni, 

Erika Pasquini 

Layout & graphics 

Marco Zanusso (manager) 

Editorial management 

Fabio Zammaretti 

Printing 

Industrie Grafiche RGM srl, 

Rozzano (Mi) 

Milano City Court Authorization 

n. 860 – December 18th 1987 National 

Press Register n. 4596 – April 20th 1994 

Poste Italiane Inc. – Mail subscription 

D.L. 353/2003 (mod. in L. 27/02/2004 n° 

46) Art. 1, subsection 1, LO/MI 

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MANAGEMENT 

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Copyright 2022 Vado e Torno Edizioni 

We unlock e-mobility for every community and every location, 

regardless of how remote they are. The grid-independent isles 

provide reliable and cost-efficient fast charging at any time, 

with net-zero CO2 emissions. We team up with me energy and 

Sterki HTP to provide disruptive-tech products and world-class 

service. NGV Powertrain green power systems are the beating 

heart of the green mobility revolution. 

in partnership with

Power to 

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More power. More productivity. More uptime. Less complexity. 

Cummins Performance Series engines deliver benefits to 

farmers and equipment manufacturers alike. Higher power 

means more machine capability. A simpler design means 

easier installation and maintenance. 

To learn more visit: 

cummins.tech/y4sw8t 

HISTORY 

+ 

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+ 

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D I S T R I B U T O R S 

performance 

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CONNECTION. 

IT’S WHERE THE REAL POWER LIVES. 

IT’S WHERE THE REAL POWER LIVES. 

There’s an unbreakable bond between John Deere products and 

the people who choose them. It gives you the power to take your 

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Powertrain | Diesel International 2022-01

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